ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Anaerobic Digestion

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance her Department is providing for the development of farm co-operatives to enable farm-scale anaerobic digestion.

Richard Benyon: The Government are committed to increasing energy from waste through anaerobic digestion (AD) to produce, for example, heat, electricity and transport fuels. This work is led by DEFRA, working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other Government Departments.
	Steps which the Government believes need to be taken to achieve this goal are set out in the AD Framework document, published in November 2010. The project aims to facilitate collaborative work between industry, Government and a wide range of interested parties to identify barriers to the uptake of AD, and key actions that can be taken forward by industry or in partnership.
	The project will cover issues relating to all AD models and technologies, which will include on-farm plants and community AD.
	An AD strategy document is set to be published in the second quarter of 2011.

Departmental Cleaning Services

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to require all cleaning contracts held with her Department to stipulate that the cleaning products used should be EU Ecolabel products accredited by her Department; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: Our cleaning contractor sources cleaning chemicals which have been chosen with sustainability in mind. The products they use are also considered under the broader context of sustainability rather than simply whether it has an EU eco-label or not. The standard cleaning chemicals are all super concentrate products. These have a number of sustainability benefits including reduced packaging, carbon reduction in deliveries and production and precise dosing capability which minimises wastage and pollution.
	Our cleaning contractor continues to consider the Government's minimum buying standards when specifying its cleaning products.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in her Department are provided with mobile communication devices; and how much her Department spent on mobile telephones and related data services in the last year for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The following tables show the number of mobile communication' devices issued at the end of fiscal year 2010-11 and how much the Department and its Executive Agencies spent on mobile telephones and related data Services in the same period.
	The expenditure figures are unaudited as year-end processes in all organisations are still incomplete.
	
		
			 Organisation Total devices 2010  -  11 Spend (£) 
			 DEFRA(1) 1153 527,153.39 
			 VMD 61 13,835.24 
			 CEFAS 234 59,034.00 
			 FERA 586 105,230.93 
			 AH 987 462,373.02' 
			 VLA 170 31,000.00 
			 Total 3191 1,198,626.58 
			 (1) Device information is dependent on external supplier data and relates to active connections in March 2011. 
		
	
	
		
			 RPA 1 April 2009 - 31 March 2010 1 April 2010   -  31 December 2010 
			 Devices 999 988 
			 Spend (£) 164,257.33 117,219.14

Employment Agencies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much her Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available.

Richard Benyon: The departmental spend on recruitment agency fees, outplacement agency fees and staff training for the financial year 2010-11 is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 £ 
			 Core DEFRA/agency Recruitment agency fees (incl. media costs where reported) Outplacement agency fees to support displaced/redundant staff Staff training costs 
			 Rural Payments Agency (RPA) 0 20,800.00 276,275.49 
			 Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Agriculture Science (CEFAS) 42,476.54 0 276,586.00 
			 Animal Health/Veterinary Laboratories Agency (AH/VLA) 10,980.00 0 (1)1,192,540.00 
			 Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) 0 0 68,220.00 
		
	
	
		
			 The Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) 16,179.00 0 320,716.00 
			 Core DEFRA 107,942.71 0 1,209,469.00 
			 (1) 2009-10 costs. Staff training costs for AH/VLA will not be available until the end of April 2011

Government Departments: Business Plans

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to publish her Department’s sustainability appraisals of departmental business plans.

James Paice: We are currently developing the approach for sustainable development proofing departmental business plans to feed into the refresh of business plans. This includes considering how best to provide updates on progress.

Livestock: Animal Welfare

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money her Department allocated to each local authority for animal health and welfare work in each of the last three financial years. [Official Report, 17 June 2011, Vol. 529, c. 11-14MC.]

James Paice: DEFRA funding allocated to each local authority for animal health and welfare work in each of the last three financial years is shown in the following table:
	
		
			  Allocation per financial year (£) 
			 Local authority 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 
			 Barnsley 24,474 28,274 23,266 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 60,015 60,015 60,015 
			 Bedford — 19,338 19,338 
			 Bedfordshire 48,345 — — 
			 Birmingham 27,815 28,515 27,315 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 6,052 5,465 4,074 
			 Blackpool 385 385 385 
			 Blaenau Gwent 16,841 16,841 16,841 
			 Bolton 12,208 12,208 12,208 
			 Bradford 39,080 41,080 38,080 
			 Bridgend 35,462 35,462 35,462 
			 Buckinghamshire 88,924 88,924 88,924 
			 Bury 2,901 2,901 2,901 
			 Caerphilly 22,521 20,414 20,414 
			 Calderdale 54,699 54,699 54,699 
			 Cambridgeshire 72,975 72,975 72,975 
			 Cardiff 5,103 7,103 7,103 
			 Carmarthenshire 192,297 178,296 192,296 
			 Central Bedfordshire — 29,007 29,007 
		
	
	
		
			 Ceredigion 195,113 179,113 195,113 
			 Cheshire (East) — 56,000 49,930 
			 Cheshire (West and Chester) — 48,500 48,500 
			 Cheshire 93,080 — — 
			 City of London (Chelmsford) 10,180 10,180 10,180 
			 City of London (Reigate) 12,673 12,673 12,673 
			 City of London (Reading) — — 1,685 
			 City of London (Wokingham and Reading) 10,852 10,852 — 
			 City of York 10,850 10,850 10,850 
			 Conwy 146,284 146,000 146,000 
			 Cornwall 140,389 160,389 140,389 
			 Coventry 4,000 5,000 6,000 
			 Cumbria 290,826 256,342 264,539 
			 Darlington 36,649 36,649 36,647 
			 Denbighshire 136,372 136,372 136,272 
			 Derby City 6,692 5,792 5,792 
			 Derbyshire 199,112 196,543 181,539 
			 Devon 501,678 505,733 500,733 
			 Doncaster 51,456 46,456 46,456 
			 Dorset 109,780 101,885 114,960 
			 Dudley 17,870 17,870 17,870 
			 Durham 81,567 87,567 82,567 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 209,483 214,483 209,483 
			 East Sussex 53,611 53,611 53,611 
			 Essex 150,996 130,996 150,996 
			 Flintshire 73,930 73,930 73,930 
			 Gateshead 2,018 2,018 2,018 
			 Gloucestershire 196,970 201,190 192,720 
			 Gwynedd 130,937 130,937 130,937 
			 Halton — — 1,033 
			 Hampshire 38,108 38,108 38,108 
			 Hartlepool 7,050 4,550 4,550 
			 Havering 2,000 14,000 14,000 
			 Herefordshire 119,768 119,768 114,768 
			 Hertfordshire 26,285 26,285 26,285 
			 Isle of Anglesey 96,018 96,018 82,018 
			 Isle of Wight 34,449 28,949 32,449 
			 Isles of Scilly — 22,000 22,000 
			 Kent 208,188 206,677 203,170 
			 Kirklees 31,357 33,657 29,640 
			 Lancashire 339,945 339,945 339,945 
			 Leeds 29,049 29,049 29,049 
			 Leicestershire 62,736 62,736 62,671 
			 Lincolnshire 173,691 173,691 173,691 
			 Med way 8,240 8,240 8,240 
		
	
	
		
			 Merthyr Tydfil 71,856 66,856 66,856 
			 Middles 936 936 936 
			 Milton Keynes 37,725 18,037 25,089 
			 Monmouthshire including Torfaen 128,705 135,943 155,228 
			 Newcastle 34,920 34,800 33,970 
			 Newport 70,412 38,937 37,873 
			 Norfolk 129,284 129,284 129,284 
			 North Lincolnshire 23,520 23,520 23,520 
			 North Somerset 30,158 30,158 30,158 
			 North Tyneside 12,431 12,431 12,431 
			 North Yorkshire 374,691 404,691 414,691 
			 Northamptonshire 84,872 79,644 79,644 
			 Northumberland 178,377 178,377 178,377 
			 Nottinghamshire 89,433 89,433 89,433 
			 Oldham 52,694 45,428 45,428 
			 Oxfordshire 113,198 112,929 111,629 
			 Pembrokeshire 133,560 133,560 133,560 
			 Peter 9,668 9,668 9,668 
			 Powys 259,260 262,260 253,260 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 4,046 4,046 3,727 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taf 50,659 50,659 50,659 
			 Rochdale 2,885 3,335 3,335 
			 Rotherham 33,188 33,188 33,188 
			 Rutland 10,839 10,839 10,839 
			 St Helens 2,788 — — 
			 Salford — 1,494 1,313 
			 Sandwell 6,357 6,357 6,357 
			 Sefton 4,994 4,994 4,994 
			 Sheffield 38,059 42,700 36,169 
			 Shropshire 127,332 131,782 127,320 
			 Slough — — 6,000 
			 Solihull 18,113 18,113 18,113 
			 Somerset 234,469 232,469 224,469 
			 South Gloucester 69,309 66,309 66,309 
			 South Tyneside 740 1,200 3,020 
			 Staffordshire 270,467 293,767 268,767 
			 Stockport — 3,658 5,593 
			 Stockton 13,727 13,727 13,727 
			 Stoke on Trent 8,570 8,570 8,570 
			 Suffolk 120,884 120,884 120,884 
			 Surrey 134,777 132,841 132,841 
			 Swindon 5,242 5,242 5,242 
			 Tameside 630 630 630 
			 Telford and Wrekin 30,618 30,618 30,618 
			 Trafford — 3,711 3,711 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 23,350 23,350 23,350 
			 Wakefield 32,452 37,764 32,452 
			 Walsall 4,401 4,401 4,401 
		
	
	
		
			 Warrington 9,491 9,491 9,491 
			 Warwickshire 127,828 132,000 131,000 
			 West Berkshire and Wokingham — — 27,061 
			 West Berkshire 27,061 27,061 — 
			 West Glamorgan 65,356 65,356 64,416 
			 West Sussex 46,743 44,743 44,743 
			 Wigan 8,000 6,087 6,087 
			 Wiltshire 60,912 60,912 60,912 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 38,117 34,542 34,542 
			 Wirral 473 2,008 2,008 
			 Wokingham — — 9,167 
			 Wolverhampton 3,934 3,934 3,873 
			 Worcestershire 215,909 202,709 180,630 
			 Wrexham 57,208 57,208 57,208 
			 Source: Core DEFRA

Meat: Ritual Slaughter

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number and proportion of domesticated animals and birds slaughtered without prior stunning in 2010.

James Paice: The most recent data on the slaughter of animals without prior stunning was published in March 2004 by the Meat Hygiene Service in its Animal Welfare Review. The data was collected through a survey of meat plants between 1 and 7 September 2003. The following table shows the number of animals killed over that period without prior stunning for the production of kosher and halal meat:
	
		
			 Species Not stunned 
			 Cattle 365 
			 Calves 8 
			 Young lambs 6,845 
			 Other sheep 11,454 
			 Goats 62 
			 Broilers 167,745 
			 Hens 15,900 
			 Turkeys 749 
			 Ducks 610 
		
	
	More recent data collected by the EU Dialrel project see:
	http://www.dialrel.eu/images/factsheet-assesment-practices.pdf
	shows that, of the UK abattoirs surveyed, 100% of the animals and birds slaughtered for the production of kosher meat were slaughtered without prior stunning. For halal meat, 25% of cattle and 7% of sheep were slaughtered without prior stunning. The Dialrel data also indicates that no poultry were slaughtered for halal production without stunning.

Pesticides

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what mechanism she has put in place to monitor the export to developing countries of chemical pesticides produced in the UK.

James Paice: Monitoring of the export to the developing world of certain dangerous chemicals (including pesticides) is focused on those that pose the greatest concern with regard to human health risk or environmental contamination.
	Under Regulation EC 689/2008, exporters of these chemicals are required to share information on how to store, transport, use and dispose of them safely. In addition, they are required to notify or seek consent from importing countries outside of the EU before their first export each year. This enables importing countries to make informed decisions about the import and appropriate management of these chemicals. This process is operated by the Health and Safety Executive on behalf of the UK.
	Exporters are also required to declare the total quantity of each notified chemical they have exported to each country, a summary of which is published by the European Commission.
	In addition Regulation EC 1107/2009 concerning the placing of plant protection products on the market which will come into operation on 14 June will introduce a statutory requirement for record keeping by all companies exporting plant protection products.

Pesticides

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what mechanism her Department has put in place to measure the level of pesticide residue in imported food and drink;
	(2)  how many incidents of foodstuff contamination with pesticides were detected in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

James Paice: The UK carries out an annual programme to monitor pesticide residues in food and drink. The purpose of the programme is to: support the statutory approvals process for pesticides by checking that no unexpected residues are occurring; check that residues do not go above statutory maximum residue levels (MRL); and check that the residues in food and drink are within acceptable levels. The sampling is reflective of the food supply chain and in particular the places where people buy food.
	This monitoring programme and its results have been overseen by the independent Pesticide Residues Committee from 2000 to 31 March 2011. From 1 April this Committee has been replaced by an Expert Committee of DEFRA, which will carry out the same role of providing scientific and technical advice. The results of the monitoring programme, including full details of the brand-name and manufacturer of each sample taken, and the detailed risk assessments considered by the Committee, are published in quarterly reports. The Committee also publishes an annual report summarising each year's work and giving information on those samples where residues were found above the MRL and on follow-up action taken. These reports are available on the Committee's website.
	The monitoring programme indicates that pesticide residues in food are almost always within the MRL limits. These are not safety limits but are set under EC regulation to represent the largest amount of pesticide expected to be found in a crop when it has been treated in accordance with good agricultural practice. Where residues are found, case by case assessment demonstrates that the vast majority involve no risk to consumers. For 2009 (the most recent full year of data), out of 3,835 samples tested 42 (1.1%) contained a residue exceeding the relevant MRL. Seven samples contained residues that could be a risk to health. These were notified to the Food Standards Agency which took action to inform the European Commission under the Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed.
	It can be misleading to make simple comparisons of the annual survey results as different foods are tested each year, analytical capability increases over time (so more pesticides can be tested for at lower levels), and the statutory MRLs change to reflect changing agricultural practice.

Pesticides

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) budget and (b) number of full-time equivalent staff of her Department and its public bodies responsible for monitoring the levels of pesticides in the foodchain (i) was in each of the last 10 years and (ii) will be in each of the next five years.

James Paice: The information is as follows:
	(a) The national programme of pesticide residue testing in food in the UK is administered by the Chemicals Regulation Directorate (CRD) of the Health and Safety Executive. Expenditure on this work is published each year in the annual report of the Pesticide Residues Committee, which advises Ministers on the design and implementation of the programme. This information is summarised as follows. Costs include sample collection, analysis, collation and reporting of results. A further £30,000 is spent each year on the administration of the Pesticide Residues Committee.
	
		
			 Programme year Cost (£ million)  (1) 
			 2000 1.7 
			 2001 2.0 
			 2002 2.0 
			 2003 2.2 
			 2004 2.2 
			 2005 2.2 
			 2006 2.1 
			 2007 2.1 
			 2008 2.1 
			 2009 2.1 
			 2010 1.9 
			 (1) These expenditure figures include a proportion of analytical costs which are met by the devolved Administrations. 
		
	
	(b) Staffing in the team managing this work has been between 3.5 and 4 full-time equivalent staff throughout the period.
	The budget for 2011 for this work will be similar to the 2010 level. Beyond 2012 the budgetary position is not finalised but expenditure will be in line with spending review commitments.

Recycling

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for the national roll-out of (a) Recyclebank and (b) other recycling reward schemes.

Richard Benyon: This Government believes in rewards, rather than penalties, to encourage recycling and other beneficial behaviours. As part of the Waste Policy Review we are looking at how we can support councils to reward householders for recycling. A number of local authorities have entered into contracts with Recyclebank to provide rewards for recycling, and we support them taking this initiative. It is for individual local authorities to decide whether a reward scheme is appropriate in their area and what type it should be.

PRIME MINISTER

10 Downing Street: Gardens

Luciana Berger: To ask the Prime Minister whether his Office has taken steps to ensure biodiversity and protection for rare and endangered flora and fauna in the Downing Street gardens.

David Cameron: The gardens of number 10, 11, and 12 Downing Street are maintained by The Royal Parks. Biodiversity is supported in the Downing Street gardens through a range of horticultural regimes and practices, including the provision of a pond, borders to support wildlife, and nesting boxes for birds and insects.

Supermarkets

Alison McGovern: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has had any meetings since September 2010 with representatives of (a) Tesco, (b) Sainsbury's, (c) Asda, (d) Morrisons and (e) trade associations of which these companies are members.

David Cameron: I refer the hon. Member to the list of official meetings by Ministers with external organisations which is published on a quarterly basis, in accordance with the new ministerial code. This is available on the Number 10 website:
	http://transparency.number10.gov.uk/who.php

DEFENCE

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost per flying hour of using (a) Tornado and (b) Harrier aircraft for operations in Afghanistan.

Nick Harvey: holding answer 26 April 2011
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend, Lord Astor of Hever, to the noble Lord, Lord Moonie, in another place on 11 November 2010, Official Report, column WA106.

Armed Forces: Allowances

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which military allowances for members of the armed services he proposes to reduce.

Andrew Robathan: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement I made on 20 January 2011, Official Report, columns 45-47WS.

Armed Forces: Germany

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to the German government on each occasion since 1981 that British forces stationed in Germany were returned to the UK.

Nick Harvey: Information is only available as far back as 1989.
	Since 1989 the total sum paid out to Federal Republic of Germany in this regard has been €332,126.

Armed Forces: Private Education

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has for the future of the continuity of education allowance for children of armed forces personnel.

Nick Harvey: Continuity of education allowance continues to be available to all ranks of the armed forces. However, I am in the process of carrying out a review to consider the fundamental rationale for the allowance, look at alternatives and the justification for the current set of entitlements.
	The review involves consultation with the service community and families federations. Its conclusions will be announced later this year.

Armed Forces: Redundancy

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what effects the redundancies in the armed forces announced in the Strategic Defence and Security Review will have on standing commitments.

Liam Fox: Armed forces redundancies will have no impact on the services' ability to meet their standing commitments.
	Our standing commitments were re-evaluated during the Strategic Defence and Security Review and we determined they fell into two categories: non-discretionary and discretionary. We have therefore ensured that as we build to our new force structure in 2020 we will retain the capabilities we need to meet fully the non-discretionary elements of our standing commitments over the next 10 years. While we do not currently envisage altering the tasking of those capabilities that are at present conducting discretionary standing commitments it does mean that, should we need to, we have the flexibility in the force structure to do so.

Armed Forces: Young People

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward legislation to prevent enlistment of recruits into the armed forces until after their 18th birthday.

Andrew Robathan: No. We take pride in the fact that our armed forces provide challenging and constructive education, training and employment opportunities for young people equipping them with valuable and transferable skills.

Armed Forces: Young People

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the (a) emotional and (b) physical risks to the wellbeing of those under the age of 18 who are recruited to the armed forces.

Andrew Robathan: There are widely promulgated guidelines and procedures specifically covering the care and welfare of under 18s, to ensure that personnel are aware of best practice and include a mentoring regime for new arrivals. The chain of command provides a key role in the welfare of all personnel, and there is a comprehensive welfare system which includes chaplains, the soldiers, sailors, airmen and families association or service welfare organisations, and unit welfare officers. personnel are also provided with links to single service or civilian helplines.
	In accordance with Defence policy, no service personnel under the age of 18 are deployed on any operation, outside the United Kingdom, which would result in them becoming engaged in, or exposed, to hostilities. Similarly, in line with United Nations (UN) policy, service personnel under 18 are not deployed on UN peacekeeping operations.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made in identifying the non-frontline savings set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: We have made good progress in identifying how best to deliver the non-frontline savings set out in the Strategic Defence and Security Review in the course of a recent Planning Round. However, there remains further work to drive some of the detailed implementation. This will be actively monitored by the Defence Operating Board (Transformation) including working with the relevant senior responsible owners for these measures to ensure that they are delivered.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether further savings in his Department's budget in addition to those identified in the Strategic Defence and Security Review will need to be identified up to 2015-16.

Liam Fox: The Ministry of Defence has always been clear that the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) was the start of a process and that there were still difficult decisions that would need to be taken as it was implemented as a result of the situation inherited from the previous Labour Government. We will also need to ensure that for usual budgetary purposes—due to changes such as fuel prices, foreign exchange, inflation, changes in valuations in our estate, and armed forces pay awards—that we match our resources to our highest priorities. This we do on an annual basis utilising the Department's Planning Round process. I will make a statement to the House on the progress of implementing the SDSR and the Department's finances shortly.

Departmental Public Expenditure

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent progress has been made on Planning Round 11; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 69W.

Libya: Armed Conflict

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his counterparts in (a) the US Administration and (b) the governments of other countries forming the coalition for military action in Libya on policy on the use of depleted uranium weapons; and how that policy (A) is applied to and (B) will apply in operations in Libya.

Nick Harvey: The UK is not using depleted uranium weapons in Libya.
	No discussions have been had with counterparts in the US Administration and the Governments of other countries forming the coalition supporting United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 (2011) on policy on the use of depleted uranium weapons.

Nuclear Weapons: International Co-operation

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions (a) he, (b) Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with their counterparts in continental European national governments on co-operation in nuclear policy; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The UK operates an independent nuclear deterrent and the policy underpinning this remains sovereign to the UK. Engagement with our counterparts in continental Europe on co-operation on nuclear policy is therefore mainly via discussions within NATO who are currently undertaking a defence and deterrence posture review tasked by the Lisbon summit in November 2010. It is not the practice of the Government to make public details of all discussions with foreign Governments and I am therefore withholding further details as this would, or would be likely to, prejudice relations between the UK and other states.

Strategic Defence and Security Review

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps have been taken by his Department following its report, SDSR: Lessons Identified; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Fox: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 April 2011, Official Report, column 569W.

Warships

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has any plans to review his decision to place one landing platform dock in reserve in light of recent events in North Africa and the Middle East.

Nick Harvey: We have no plans to do so. As set out in the White Paper: “Securing Britain in an Age of Uncertainty: The Strategic Defence and Security Review”, Cm 7948, we plan in future to be able to land and sustain a command group of up to 1,800 personnel from the sea using specialist shipping. To meet this requirement, we need to maintain at high readiness just one of our two landing platforms docks. The second ship will be held at extended readiness.

TRANSPORT

Aviation: Stress

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has made an assessment of levels of (a) stress and (b) fatigue experienced by airline pilots on standby duty.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 February 2011, Official Report, column 51W, given to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham).

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the issue of flight time limitations for pilots was discussed at the Transport Council on 31 March.

Theresa Villiers: The issue of flight time limitations was not discussed at the Transport Council of 31 March.

Aviation: Working Hours

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on flight time limitations.

Theresa Villiers: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 673W, given to the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon).

Blue Badge Scheme: Logos

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the merits of changing the design of the blue disability badge so that all required information is displayed on one side of the badge.

Norman Baker: The design of the blue badge follows the European parking model which is set out in EC Council Recommendation (98/376/EC). This details the information that should be placed on the front and the back of a badge. The information that is included on the back is personal and many blue badge users do not want this on display, including overnight in some parking bays, for personal security reasons. The badge clearly indicates the side that should be displayed in the vehicle.
	I plan shortly to bring forward legislative amendments to the badge design to make it harder to copy and to forge. One of these amendments will require the badge number and the expiry date to be included on both sides of the badge. This will enable enforcement officers to check the validity of badges no matter which side of the badge is on display.

Brighton and Hove City Council: Grants

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ring-fenced grants provided by his Department were available for Brighton and Hove city council to claim in (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09, (c) 2009-10 and (d) 2010-11; how much was available in such grants; how many such grants were made; and how much was awarded in such grants.

Norman Baker: Between 2007-08 and 2010-11, the Department for Transport had a number of grant streams available to local government. Some of these were allocated by formula and were not ring-fenced. Others were granted on the basis of bids from local government. Details of the grants which Brighton and Hove city council could bid for are outlined as follows:
	
		
			 Table 1: 2007-08 Local transport bid-based   f  unding (£ million) 
			 Grant Brighton and Hove allocation Total funding 
			 Bikeability 0.0 1.2 
			 Bus Challenge and Kickstart 0.0 12.0 
			 Cycle Towns 0.6 3.2 
			 Exceptional Maintenance 0.0 8.0 
			 Major Schemes(1) 0.0 257.0 
			 Road Safety Partnership(2) 0.8 5.6 
			 Total 1.4 287.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: 2008-09 Local transport bid-based funding (£ million) 
			 Grant Brighton and Hove allocation Total funding 
			 Bikeability 0.1 3.1 
			 Bus Challenge and Kickstart 0.0 5.7 
			 Cycle Towns 0.4 9.6 
			 Exceptional Maintenance 0.0 13.0 
			 Major Schemes(1) 0.0 409.0 
			 Road Safety Partnership(2) 0.0 2.2 
			 TIF Pump Priming 0.0 16.1 
			 Total 0.5 458.7 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: 2009-10 Local transport bid-based funding (£ million) 
			 Grant Brighton and Hove allocation Total funding 
			 Bikeability(3) 0.1 5.0 
			 Bus Challenge and Kickstart 0.0 5.9 
			 Cycle Towns 0.9 26.8 
			 Exceptional Maintenance 0.0 5.0 
		
	
	
		
			 Green Bus Fund 0.0 5.3 
			 Major Schemes(1) 0.0 601.0 
			 Road Safety Partnership(2) 0.0 4.1 
			 TIF Pump Priming 0.0 2.7 
			 Total 1.0 655.8 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 4: 2010-11 Local transport bid-based funding (£ million) 
			 Grant Brighton and Hove   a  llocation Total funding 
			 Bikeability(3) 0.1 6.1 
			 Cycle Towns 0.5 19.2 
			 Exceptional Maintenance 0.0 5.0 
			 Green Bus Fund 0.0 14.4 
			 Major Schemes(1) 0.0 531.0 
			 Road Safety Partnership(2) 0.0 0.9 
			 Winter Emergency Repairs 0.4 200.0 
			 Total 1.0 776.6 
			 (1) In the years in question eligibility to claim major scheme funding was restricted to schemes that (a) had been prioritised in their region's regional funding allocation and (b) had achieved Full Approval status as defined by the major schemes guidance in operation at the time. The only scheme in Brighton and Hove that was prioritised in the South East Regional funding allocation was the Brighton Rapid Transit scheme, however this never reached full approval status and therefore no funds were provided. (2) Many Road Safety Partnership projects lasted for two financial years—the figures are for the first year for which projects were approved. The figures are for the maximum approved QfT funding contribution. Some actual claims were less. Totals include some projects led by non-Government Organisations, rather than local authorities. (3) The Bikeabilily funding provided to Brighton and Hove in 2009-10 and 2010-11 was for local authority and School Sports Partnership delivery.

Brighton and Hove City Council: Grants

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many ring-fenced grants provided by his Department are available for Brighton and Hove city council to claim in 2011-12; how much is available in such grants; how many such grants have been made; and how much is to be awarded in such grants in the next 12 months.

Norman Baker: To support the localism agenda, the Department for Transport has radically simplified and reformed local transport funding, moving from 26 grant streams to just four from 2011-12:
	capital grants for (i) highways maintenance and (ii) integrated transport, both of which are allocated by formula to all local highway authorities and are not ring-fenced;
	additional funding for specific transport projects based on bids to (iii) Local Sustainable Transport Fund and (iv) local authority Major Schemes programme. Total budgets for 2011-12 for these two grants are £80 million and £418 million respectively. Decisions on award amounts, including to Brighton and Hove city council, are dependent on the on-going bidding processes.
	All other specific grants have ended, with the funding transferred and included in the main Local Government Formula Grant administered by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Accountancy

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether any ministerial directions have been issued to the accounting officer of his Department since his appointment.

Norman Baker: There have been no ministerial directions issued since the Secretary of State's appointment.

Departmental Public Bodies

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the level of savings which will accrue from the abolition of the Railway Heritage Committee.

Theresa Villiers: On 16 March 2011, Official Report, columns 9-10W, the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Paymaster General, the right hon. Member for Horsham (Mr Maude) issued a written ministerial statement updating Parliament on progress on public bodies reform. That statement also announced that Departments estimate cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer to my answer of 26 April 2011, Official Report, column 89W.

Driving Offences: Fines

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue was raised from fines as a consequence of drivers failing to meet the requirement to display blue badges correctly under the Disabled Persons (Badges for Motor Vehicles) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2007 in (a) Bolton, (b) Greater Manchester and (c) England in each of the last three years.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport does not collect these data and so the information is not available. Enforcement of the Blue Badge scheme is the responsibility of the local authority in cases where they have taken civil parking enforcement powers or, in other cases, the Police or traffic wardens.

Driving Offences: Fines

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he plans to take to ensure the collection of fines for speeding in the UK incurred by citizens of other EU member states.

Michael Penning: Foreign registered vehicles can already be stopped by police and issued with up to three fixed penalty points. If the driver cannot demonstrate a satisfactory UK address, police officers will take a summons deposit. Money taken for summons deposits is held pending the court hearing and either paid as the fine or refunded, based on the outcome of the hearing. If the driver does not appear at the court hearing, the money is retained and the driver has no further right to appeal.
	Our plans to improve the collection of fines incurred by citizens of other EU member states for speeding in the UK will be covered in our strategic framework for road safety, which will be published shortly.

East Coast Railway Line: Timetables

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what reason publication of the May 2011 timetable for East Coast trains was delayed; and if he will make a statement.

Theresa Villiers: Publication of the May 2011 timetable for East Coast trains has not been delayed. The timetable was published on East Coast's website on 14 February 2011, in accordance with the industry's normal timescales for publication of new timetables.

Freedom Pass

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether he plans to issue revised guidance on the Freedom Pass scheme for disabled people in respect of eligibility for those who apply who have been refused a driving licence under section 92 of the Road Traffic Act 1988;
	(2)  when he proposes to issue renewed guidance to local authorities on determining eligibility for the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass;
	(3)  whether he plans to (a) review and (b) alter the eligibility for the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass;
	(4)  if he will issue guidance to local authorities on eligibility on discretionary grounds for the Disabled Persons Freedom Pass.

Norman Baker: The Department for Transport issued guidance to Travel Concession Authorities in 2008 regarding the assessment of applicants for a disabled person's England-wide travel concession pass. The guidance is due to be reviewed in the future to ensure that it continues to be useful to local authorities in assessing applicants against the disability eligibility criteria defined in legislation. However, there are no plans to revise any of the disability eligibility criteria themselves.
	Disability eligibility criteria relating to the Discretionary London-only Disabled Persons Pass are a matter for the London boroughs.

Great Western Railway: Electrification

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of rail service connectivity of not electrifying the Great Western Main Line between Cardiff and Swansea.

Theresa Villiers: Electrification from London to Cardiff and deployment of the new train fleet on the Great Western line will increase connectivity for stations between Cardiff and Swansea because passengers will benefit from more seats and faster journeys.
	Through trains to London will continue and they will be 20 minutes quicker from December 2017 with a journey time from Swansea of two hours and 39 minutes. This significant improvement to the area's transport infrastructure should enhance the attractiveness of Swansea and the rest of South Wales for inward investment.
	No additional connectivity benefits for main line rail services would be gained by the electrification of the South Wales Main Line from Cardiff to Swansea.

High Speed 2: Exhibitions

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what expenditure his Department is incurring on (a) the High Speed 2 caravan being used for the HS2 Consultation mobile roadshows and (b) the equipment being used for the HS2 Consultation exhibitions; and whether the (i) caravan and (ii) equipment has been (A) purchased or (B) leased;
	(2)  what the cost to his Department is of the (a) computer programs, (b) interaction maps, (c) sound booths, (d) noise simulation recordings and (e) exhibition furniture in use at the HS2 mobile exhibitions and roadshows; and which companies have been awarded contracts to provide such goods.

Philip Hammond: Some work is still ongoing, but we estimate that the total expenditure on the consultation events and associated equipment to be £1.1 million. This sum reflects our commitment to provide good quality advice to the public regarding the proposals. The mobile exhibition vehicle is owned by HS2 Ltd.
	Central office of Information (CoI) were contracted by HS2 Ltd to award the contracts for companies which provided these goods. Noise simulation recordings are being undertaken by ARUP and there are no final costs as yet due to the ongoing nature of the work.

High Speed 2: Exhibitions

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many HS2 Consultation feedback forms were completed at the Euston HS2 mobile exhibition on 24 March 2011; and whether such statistics will be published each week during the HS2 consultation period;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to capture and record oral feedback provided to his Department and HS2 staff by visitors to the HS2 mobile exhibitions and roadshows.

Philip Hammond: The purpose of the roadshows is to provide people with information about the proposals to inform consultation responses. They are able to submit forms electronically or in writing at the event, or they can submit responses via the consultation website after the event. We do not propose to publish information on the number of forms received at each event weekly; however, a summary of responses received will be published after the consultation closes. Oral feedback from visitors is not being recorded.

High Speed 2: Exhibitions

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport who the employers are of each member of staff working on the HS2 mobile exhibitions and roadshows.

Philip Hammond: The mobile exhibitions and roadshows are being undertaken by HS2 Ltd in support of the current high speed rail consultation exercise, with support from the Department for Transport. As such, the majority of staff at the events are directly employed by these organisations. Further specialist engineering support is provided by Temple and Arup, who are engaged as consultants.

Large Goods Vehicles: Licensing

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what consideration he has given to harmonisation of the requirements for the Driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence with those for a Large Goods Vehicle licence; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (DCPC) was introduced in UK in September 2008 for bus and coach drivers and September 2009 for lorry drivers. Following public consultation in 2005, a modular qualification approach enabling new drivers to obtain their driving licence and DCPC as part of the same process was adopted to allow maximum flexibility for those caught by the new requirements. This effectively harmonised the requirements of licence acquisition driver testing with the requirements for DCPC.

Railways: Standards

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the (a) reliability and (b) capacity of the UK's existing rail network.

Theresa Villiers: holding answer 29 March 2011
	We are continuing to invest across the UK rail network, with around £14 billion planned to be spent within this spending review period to 2014-15 to enlarge capacity and improve performance.
	We will provide 650 additional carriages by 2014 to meet the rising peak demand in our major cities and on our long distance routes. Platforms are already being lengthened and stations enhanced for this. We will electrify routes in the North West and the Great Western Main Line to Cardiff by 2017 and expect to buy new Intercity Express Trains for the latter and for the East Coast Main Line. We are going ahead with the Crossrail and Thameslink projects which will provide substantial extra capacity into London from all four points of the compass by 2019. Only last month the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a further £200 million for railway improvements in the regions including the Ordsall Chord in Manchester and the redoubling of the Swindon-Kemble route in the south-west.
	However, the single biggest contributor of additional capacity to the rail network would be the proposed High Speed 2 network which would transform capacity between Britain's major cities, providing approximately 230,000 seats per day on the new line in Phase 1, rising to more than 500,000 seats per day once the second phase to Manchester and Leeds is operational, as well as releasing capacity for regional, commuter and freight services on existing lines.

Roads: Hertfordshire

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many 
	(1)  casualties were recorded in road traffic accidents in (a) St Albans constituency and (b) Hertfordshire in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  pedestrians were (a) injured and (b) killed in St Albans constituency in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Michael Penning: The information requested is given in the following tables:
	
		
			 Reported casualties from personal injury road accidents in (a) St Albans constituency and (b) Hertfordshire: 2007 to 2009 
			  (a) St Albans (b) Hertfordshire 
			 2007 512 5,128 
			 2008 499 4,384 
			 2009 428 3,956 
			 Note:  Based on the 2010 parliamentary constituency boundaries. 
		
	
	
		
			 Reported pedestrian casualties from personal injury road accidents in St Albans constituency  (1)   who were (a) injured (b) killed: 2007 to 2009 
			  (a) Injured (b) Killed 
			 2007 38 1 
			 2008 44 1 
			 2009 36 1 
			 (1 )Based on the 2010 parliamentary constituency boundaries. 
		
	
	The data for year 2010 will be published at the end of June 2011.

Rolling Stock

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assumptions in respect of (a) specifications and (b) costs were made in his Department's comparison between the electric multiple unit and locomotive electric trains and bi-mode intercity express programme trains; and what the source of such assumptions was.

Theresa Villiers: The specification, frequency and stopping patterns of the trains were assumed to be the same for both the coupling and the bi-mode options.
	The costs and benefits of the two options differ, and it was the differences in costs and benefits that provided the basis for the decision to go ahead with the bi-mode option. I would also refer the hon. Member to my answers of 21 March 2011, Official  Report, columns 786-87W and 5 April 2011, Official Report, column 877W, where I outlined some of the costs and the sources.

Thames Gateway Bridge

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects on revenue at the Dartford River Crossing of constructing a lower Thames crossing; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Penning: No specific assessment has been made as yet on the effects on revenue at the existing Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing from the construction of a new lower Thames crossing.
	The Department for Transport made clear in its Spending Review announcement that it would embark on a review of the options for future capacity in the lower Thames.
	Following that review, which is expected to take around 12 to 18 months to complete, the Department's intention, as part of the statutory process, would be to publicly consult on the merits of the potential options.

Thameslink Railway Line

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent progress has been made on the Thameslink Programme.

Theresa Villiers: Good progress has been made on the Thameslink Programme including:
	1. Installation of 140 metres of pre-fabricated platform extensions at Elstree and Borehamwood station in one weekend in March;
	2. Commencement of construction of train sidings and platform extensions at Bedford;
	3, Completion of the major track switch from the west side of Blackfriars station to the east side at Christmas 2010, and commencement of the reconstruction and widening of the west side; and
	4. Erection of 400 tonnes of steelwork for the new ticket hall at Farringdon to be shared with Crossrail.

Transport: Carbon Emissions

William Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to mitigate carbon usage in transport.

Norman Baker: The Government are committed to ensuring that the transport sector plays a full part in delivering the emissions reductions needed to meet our 2020 and 2050 climate change targets. On 8 March we published a draft “Carbon Plan”, which summarises ongoing and planned action to reduce carbon emissions from all sectors, including transport. The “Carbon Plan” can be found via the website of the Department for Energy and Climate Change at:
	http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/lc_uk/carbon_plan/carbon_plan.aspx

Travel: Concessions

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to provide more affordable access to public transport for 17 to 25-year-olds affected by rising motor insurance premiums.

Norman Baker: For rail travel, young people are already eligible for a 16-25 Railcard if aged between 16 and 25, or if aged 26 and over and in full-time education. This is a requirement of each operator's franchise agreement.
	In London, all 16 to 17-year-olds can pay child rate for Travelcards longer than seven days and pay half the adult rate when using ‘pay as you go’ on buses, trams, Tube, DLR and London overground services. Students aged 18 or over receive a 30% discount on Travelcards longer than seven days and up to an annual Travelcard.
	Outside London, the majority of bus fares are set by commercial operators in a deregulated market. Many operators offer reduced fares and discounted tickets to encourage young people to use local bus services, often in partnership with local councils. Any decision on the provision of local discretionary concessions for young people in a particular area, or for the price of tickets on services they financially support, is for an individual local transport authority. Local transport authorities outside London also have powers to make ticketing schemes or set maximum fares through statutory bus Quality Partnership Schemes.
	On 28 March the Secretary of State for Education announced a new £180 million 16-19 Bursary Fund that, from September 2011, will enable schools and colleges to target support to those young people facing the greatest financial barriers to participation. The new scheme will have the flexibility to allow for transport costs where schools and colleges identify this as a barrier to individual students' participation.
	I recognise that the rising cost of motor insurance is a problem to young people. We are working with the motor insurance industry to identify ways in which we can develop insurance products which offer incentives to those young drivers who may be willing accept restrictions or take additional training.

HEALTH

Asbestos

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent progress has been made in disbursing the funding allocated for research into asbestos-related diseases his Department announced in 2010.

Simon Burns: No specific funding was allocated for research into asbestos-related diseases. The Department of Health funds research through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Department's Policy Research programme. The Department's funding for Research and Development will increase in real terms over the next four years, from £1,004 million in 2011-12 to £1,089 million in 2014-15. The NIHR welcomes applications for support into any aspect of human health, including mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition, with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made. In all disease areas, the amount of NIHR funding depends on the volume and quality of scientific activity.
	The NIHR is working with the British Lung Foundation on building capacity for research on asbestos-related diseases.

Babies: Bottles

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the proposed EU prohibition on the use of bisphenol A in babies’ feeding bottles; and for what reason the UK abstained in the vote in the Council of Ministers on the adoption of Directive 2011/8/EU.

Anne Milton: Commission directive 2011/8/EU was implemented in the United Kingdom by the Plastic Materials and Articles in Contact with Food (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2011 (SI 2011/231) and separate, equivalent, Regulations relating to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
	The UK abstained in the vote in EU Standing Committee on 25 November 2010 as the European Commission circulated its formal proposal to member states late on 23 November 2010 and there was insufficient time for parliamentary scrutiny of the proposal before the vote.

Departmental Accountancy

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether any ministerial directions have been issued to the accounting officer of his Department since his appointment.

Simon Burns: No directions have been issued to the Department's accounting officers since the Secretary of State's appointment.

Departmental Rail Travel

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department has spent on first-class rail travel for journeys by Ministers and officials in his Department between London and Leeds since his appointment.

Simon Burns: During the period May 2010 to March 2011 the Department spent £268,934 on first-class rail travel between London and Leeds, using tickets purchased through the Department's central travel contract.
	Ministers have not used first-class travel between London and Leeds during this time.

Diabetes

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) children and (b) adults with type 1 diabetes were presented as emergency hospital admissions with diabetic ketoacidosis in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Paul Burstow: The table shows the number of emergency finished admission episodes where the primary diagnosis was type 1 diabetes with ketoacidosis by selected age groups in England 2005-06 to 2009-10. Individuals may have been admitted on more than one occasion each year.
	
		
			  2009-10 2008-09 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 
			 17 and under 3,174 3,229 3,202 3,167 2,960 
			 18 and over 8,092 7,913 7,677 7,023 6,465 
			 Unknown age 16 9 6 6 8 
			 Total 11,282 11,151 10,885 10,196 9,433

Drugs: Side Effects

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of adverse reactions from medicines administered in NHS facilities in each of the last four years.

Simon Burns: Reports of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are collected by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and Commission for Human Medicines (CHM) through the spontaneous reporting scheme; the Yellow Card Scheme. The scheme collects ADR reports from across the whole United Kingdom and includes all medicines, including those from prescriptions, over-the-counter or general retail sales. Reports are also received for herbal medicines and other unlicensed medicines.
	The following table provides a breakdown of the total number of UK spontaneous ‘suspected’ ADR reports received by the MHRA during the last four years.
	
		
			  Number of reports 
			 2007 21,716 
			 2008 25,636 
			 2009 22,439 
			 2010 23,247 
		
	
	These data represent all UK spontaneous ‘suspected’ ADR reports received through the Yellow Card Scheme and reports from the pharmaceutical industry. These reports do not usually state where the medicine was administered.
	It is important to note that the reporting of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean it is related to the drug. The reports are ‘suspicions’ of adverse drug reactions and have not been proven. Many factors have to be taken into account in assessing causal relationships including temporal association, the possible contribution of concomitant medication and the underlying disease being treated.

Fertility: Health Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will take steps to ensure that (a) NHS Sutton and Merton and (b) other primary care trusts do not reduce funding for tertiary infertility services where these are provided at levels at or below guidelines issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.

Anne Milton: Primary care trusts (PCTs) are well aware of their statutory commissioning responsibilities and the need to base commissioning decisions on clinical evidence and discussions with local general practitioner commissioners, secondary care clinicians and providers.
	The NHS deputy chief executive, David Flory, wrote to PCT commissioners on 11 January 2011 to highlight the importance that those involved in commissioning fertility services have regard to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence fertility guidelines, including the recommendation that up to three cycles of in vitro fertilisation are offered to eligible couples where the woman is aged between 23 and 39. The communication has been placed in the Library.
	The Department also supports Infertility Network UK, the leading fertility patient organisation, to work in partnership with PCTs to encourage good practice in the provision of fertility services. This work is ongoing.

Fertility: Health Services

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies are to be responsible for commissioning fertility treatment under his proposals for NHS reform.

Simon Burns: Responsibility for the commissioning of national health service infertility services has not yet been agreed.

HIV Infection: Tuberculosis

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with HIV-related tuberculosis in (a) England, (b) the Brighton and Hove primary care trust area and(c)East Sussex Downs and Weald primary care trust area in the latest period for which figures are available.

Anne Milton: The latest information available is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Three year average number and proportion of tuberculosis patients aged 15 and over co-infected with HIV, 2006 to 2008 
			  2006-08 average 
			  Number Proportion (percentage) 
			 England 560 7.5 
			 Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust 6 17.6 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald Primary Care Trust <5 Approx 10 
			 Notes: 1. Matching is carried out retrospectively because of delay in reporting of cases and data are, therefore, available up to 2008 at present.  2. As there are only small numbers of cases in each of the primary care trusts (PCTs), three-year average numbers have been provided.  3. This figure does not include cases of co-infection in children because HIV in children is reported separately.  4. Numbers less than five are not shown because of possibility of deductive disclosure. Because of small number of cases by PCT we only provide three-year average numbers. Source:  Health Protection Agency.

HIV Infection: Tuberculosis

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the contribution of collaborative tuberculosis and HIV services to reducing rates of co-infection;
	(2)  if he will take steps to ensure that relevant commissioning expertise will be available for the provision of integrated tuberculosis and HIV services by GP consortia under his proposed new structures for the NHS.

Anne Milton: On 21 December 2010, we published “Healthy Lives, Healthy People: Consultation on the funding and commissioning routes for public health”, a copy of which has already been placed in the Library.
	The aim of this consultation, which closed on 31 March 2011, was to ensure the Department gets details of the new public health system right in order to deliver significant improvements to the health of the population.
	The document proposed that the NHS Commissioning Board will commission HIV treatment and that the national health service will continue to fund and commission infectious disease treatment including tuberculosis (TB) treatment. The NHS Commissioning Board will have a leadership role in providing commissioning guidance for general practitioner consortia based on quality standards and by designing tariffs and model NHS contracts.
	We need to read and analyse the consultation responses carefully, and consider whether changes need to be made to our proposals. We will work to clarify the detail of how this would be implemented in practice, including how to ensure the relevant expertise informs the commissioning of integrated HIV and TB services. It is important that all concerned work together to ensure that tuberculosis and HIV services are commissioned and delivered in a way that meets local need and reduces rates of co-infection.
	A response to the consultation will be published in the summer.

Human Papilloma Virus: Vaccination

Daniel Poulter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis points were allocated to price in the human papillomavirus vaccine tender criteria; according to what criteria the effects of price were calculated; and how price affected the total points score allocated to each vaccine.

Anne Milton: In order to select which human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to purchase and use, the Department follows Europe Union procurement legislation and uses a rigorous process for the selection based on cost-effectiveness analysis.
	The methodology used was published in the British Medical Journal in July 2008:
	www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a769.full
	A copy of the criteria used in the adjudication has been placed in the Library.
	The criteria were shared with the manufacturers during the process so that they were fully informed of the criteria against which their bids would be evaluated.

Learning Disability: Social Services

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much of his Department's Skills for Care funding allocation for 2011-12 will target adult social care staff supporting people with profound and multiple learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Burstow: In 2011-12, the Department is providing approximately £27.5 million funding to Skills for Care for the training and development of the adult social care workforce. This includes £13 million for the Training Strategy Implementation grant, which Skills for Care administer on the Department's behalf. The grant provides funding to employers in the private and voluntary sectors to upskill their existing workforce. This is a generic grant and will support the improvement of skills across the sector including those staff who support people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Mental Health Services: Complaints

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirements there are on mental health trusts regarding mechanisms for dealing with complaints raised by members of the public.

Simon Burns: The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 provides the framework within which all providers and commissioners of NHS services (including mental health trusts) must operate. This framework includes the handling, investigation and the response to the complainant.

Mental Health Services: Complaints

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirements there are on mental health trusts in respect of the time taken to respond to complaints made by members of the public.

Simon Burns: The Local Authority Social Services and National Health Service Complaints (England) Regulations 2009 do not specify time-scales for handling individual complaints. The body receiving the complainant must offer to discuss with the complainant:
	the period within which the investigation of the complaint is likely to be completed; and
	the period within which the response is likely to be sent to the complainant.
	During the investigation, the organisation receiving the complaint must keep the complainant informed, as far as reasonably practicable, as to the progress of the investigation.

Mental Health Services: Complaints

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints each mental health trust in England received in each of the last five years.

Simon Burns: The following table shows the total number of complaints received by mental health trusts in England in each of the last five years.
	
		
			  Hospital and community health services: written complaints by mental health organisation; England as at 1 April to 31 March each year 
			2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 England  95,047 90,801 87,080 89,139 101,077 
			  Of which:   
			 All mental health organisations  7,913 8,222 7,260 7,226 9,617 
			
			 2Gether NHS Foundation Trust RTQ 81 71 89 51 n/a 
			 5 Boroughs Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RTV 121 138 133 124 140 
			 Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RVN 217 212 217 204 233 
			 Barnet, Enfield and Haringey Mental Health NHS Trust RRP 230 233 196 184 212 
			 Bedfordshire and Luton Mental Health And Social Care RV7 84 114 98 45 74 
			 Berkshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RWX 121 123 n/a 96 82 
			 Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust RXT 341 333 241 295 257 
			 Bradford District Care Trust TAD 175 76 52 62 76 
			 Calderstones Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RJX 68 70 76 87 136 
			
			 Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust RT1 43 49 63 n/a n/a 
			
			 Camden and Islington Foundation Trust TAF 190 174 153 n/a n/a 
			 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust RV3 182 228 206 206 194 
			 Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RXA 69 62 n/a 58 46 
			 Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RJ8 146 195 119 86 173 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust RYG * 111 86 101 118 
			 Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RNN 44 46 38 66 61 
			 Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust RXM 86 110 111 93 373 
			 Devon Partnership NHS Trust RWV 98 107 135 120 391 
			
			 Dorset Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RDY 101 55 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RYK * * * 66 139 
			 East London NHS Foundation Trust RWK 225 152 252 255 230 
			
			 Greater Manchester West Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust RXV 62 78 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hampshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RW1 108 125 142 99 195 
			 Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RWR 93 97 n/a 137 204 
			 Humber NHS Foundation Trust RV9 34 35 44 87 76 
			 Kent and Medway NHS And Social Care Partnership Trust RXY * 260 194 149 194 
			 Lancashire Care NHS Foundation Trust RW5 395 399 249 243 174 
			 Leeds Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RGD 114 103 98 92 56 
			 Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust RT5 187 287 229 230 223 
			 Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RP7 97 80 95 79 166 
			 Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust TAE 159 190 141 140 149 
			 Mersey Care NHS Trust RW4 498 408 249 406 342 
			 Norfolk and Waveney Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust RMY 18 17 28 18 320 
			 North East London NHS Foundation Trust RAT 140 118 112 n/a 58 
			 North Essex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RRD 127 122 106 81 400 
			 North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust RLY 68 67 54 61 84 
			 Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RP1 109 136 108 148 123 
			 Northumberland Care Trust TAC 28 50 26 26 41 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust RX4 * 171 135 128 282 
			 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust RHA 421 378 447 418 625 
			 Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust RNU 77 150 145 n/a 129 
			 Oxfordshire Learning Disability NHS Trust RHX 21 15 7 7 25 
			 Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust RPG 120 n/a 115 96 85 
			 Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust RT2 163 153 130 128 146 
			 Rotherham Doncaster and South Humberside Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust RXE 37 51 46 58 86 
			 Sandwell Mental Health NHS and Social Care Trust TAJ 40 33 23 17 51 
			 Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust TAH 130 95 117 68 79 
			 Somerset Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RH5 121 102 92 64 62 
			 South Downs Health NHS Trust RDR 322 102 113 168 89 
			
			 South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust RWN 147 n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust RV5 520 553 474 518 520 
			 South Staffordshire and Shropshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust RRE 131 105 135 114 178 
			 South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust RQY 160 180 220 280 237 
			 South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RXG 52 104 112 104 97 
			 Suffolk Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RT6 103 98 95 116 120 
			 Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RXX 142 102 98 103 115 
			 Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust RX2 * 141 261 264 565 
			
			 Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust RNK 15 18 n/a n/a n/a 
			 Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust RX3 * 101 96 104 111 
			 West London Mental Health NHS Trust RKL 261 297 240 220 243 
			 Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust RWQ 71 42 19 56 32 
			 n/a = Not available. '*' = Not applicable.  Notes: 1. Data from foundation trusts are returned on a voluntary basis and therefore data for some trusts are unavailable. 2. Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Tees, Esk And Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Northumberland, Tyne And Wear NHS Foundation Trust and Kent And Medway NHS And Social Care Partnership Trust were all formed in April 2006. 3. Dudley and Walsall Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust was formed in October 2008. 4. Coventry And Warwickshire Partnership NHS Trust was formed in 2006.  Source: Health and Social Care Information Centre, Workforce and Community dataset KO41a

Mental Health Services: Complaints

Simon Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how long on average it took each mental health trust in England to respond to a complaint raised by a member of the public in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Simon Burns: This information is not collected centrally.

Midwives

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultant midwives there were in each region in 2010.

Anne Milton: It is not possible to identify consultant midwives from the non-medical workforce census.

NHS: Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether an impact assessment has been carried out on the proposed changes to the NHS Pension scheme; and what estimate he has made of the change in the opt-out rate resulting from implementation of those changes;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that the changes to the NHS Pension scheme are sustainable and progressive;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the effects of the proposed changes to the NHS Pension scheme on part-time members of staff who are members of the scheme.

Simon Burns: At the spending review the Government announced changes to the level of employee contribution rates which would lead to total savings of £2.8 billion a year by 2014-15, to be phased in from April 2012. Discussions about how this will be implemented are on-going with unions in the context of wider ranging pension discussions. The Government will put forward proposals in June, and will then begin formal consultation on the necessary changes to scheme regulations.
	The Government are committed to protecting low earners and ensuring changes are both sustainable and progressive.
	The Treasury published an estimate of likely opt-out rates at the spending review:
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/sr2010_policycostings.pdf
	This estimate has been scrutinised by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, and will be reviewed when the Government puts forward final designs.

NHS: Redundancy and Early Retirement

Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the Exchequer was of  (a) voluntary redundancies,  (b) early voluntary retirements and  (c) compulsory redundancies in the NHS in 2010-11.

Simon Burns: There is no extra cost to the Exchequer for members of the NHS Pension scheme taking voluntary early retirement. The cost of voluntary early retirement is borne by the member through reduced benefits.
	No information is available on the cost of voluntary or compulsory redundancies in 2010-11 as the accounts for this period have not been laid. Information is available from the NHS (England) summarised accounts on costs of termination benefits for the 2009-10 year. Termination benefits include the costs of severance payments and redundancy payments including employer costs of redundancy retirement. This amounted to £266,000 for strategic health authorities, £6,825,000 for primary care trusts and £15,142,000 for NHS trusts. Date is not available for NHS foundation trusts.
	From 2010-11, there is a HM Treasury Financial Reporting Manual requirement for the NHS audited summarisation schedules to further analyse termination benefits into the number and cost of compulsory and other exit packages by cost banding.

Parkinson's Disease: Physiotherapy

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing GP-led commissioning on access to physiotherapy for people suffering from Parkinson's disease.

Paul Burstow: Subject to the passage of the Health Bill through Parliament, general practitioners (GPs) will be given real responsibility to ensure that commissioning decisions are underpinned by clinical insight and knowledge of local healthcare needs. GPs, in partnership with other local healthcare professionals such as therapists and community nurses, are best placed to understand the health needs of local populations and how to work with their local populations to design services that meet those needs.
	The GP role is particularly prominent for people with long-term conditions, and in helping patients to access wider or more specialised national health service services through the thousands of referral decisions they make on a daily basis. The quality and availability of primary care services also has a wider impact on accident and emergency attendances and emergency admissions. GP Commissioning should also provide consortia with incentives to invest in interventions in community based services that keep people healthier for longer and prevent or delay treatment that is more expensive.

Pharmacy

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on designation of community pharmacies as qualified providers of their regulation by the General Pharmaceutical Council; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of whether regulation of community pharmacies by the General Pharmaceutical Council rather than the Care Quality Commission could prevent community pharmacies being recognised as meeting the definition of any qualified provider; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: I understand the right hon. Member is referring in these questions to whether the regulation of community pharmacies by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC) rather than the Care Quality Commission (CQC) could prevent community pharmacies being recognised as meeting the definition of any qualified provider.
	This would not be the case; rather the focus would be on ensuring, through the qualification process, that providers have the appropriate registrations, whether this is with the CQC, GPhC or other regulatory bodies.

Physiotherapy

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the effects of the introduction of the willing provider model within the NHS on access to physiotherapy services for people recovering from fragility fractures.

Owen Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of introducing the any willing provider model on access to physiotherapy services for people with Parkinson's disease.

Simon Burns: The Government's intention in extending Any Qualified Provider (AQP) (previously Any Willing Provider) is to improve access by increasing the choice and control patients have over their care and treatment. The Department is continuing to develop AQP policy, and initial implementation guidance, including its application to specific services, will be published shortly.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of genital warts have been diagnosed in men aged under 25 since 2008.

Anne Milton: The numbers of genital warts (first episode) diagnosed in men in genitourinary medicine (GUM) clinics in England for 2008 and 2009, are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Genital warts: first episode 
			   Age group  
			   <25  25+  Total 
			 2008 19,182 21,906 41,094 
			 2009 19,363 22,701 42,065 
			 Total (2008 and 2009) 38,545 44,607 83,159 
			  Notes: 1. Data on diagnoses where the age of the patient was unknown are included in the 'Total' column. The total may therefore include some diagnoses on patients under 25. 2. The data available from the KC60 (2008 and earlier) and GUMCAD (2009 onwards) returns are for diagnoses made in GUM clinics only. A recent study (pending publication) of genital warts cases (first and recurrence) seen in GUM clinics and in general practice in 2008 has found most cases seen in general practice were referred on to GUM clinics and estimated that only around 5% of cases were seen in general practice only, i.e. figures in the table may represent up to 95% of cases. 3. The data available from the KC60 and GUMCAD returns are the number of diagnoses made, not the number of patients diagnosed. 4. The information provided is based on reported data from GUM clinics in England that has been adjusted for missing clinic data. 5. Data are unavailable for 2010.  Source: Health Protection Agency, KC60 and Genitourinary Medicine Clinic Activity Dataset (GUMCAD) returns. Date of data: 25 August 2010.

Sexually Transmitted Diseases

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will estimate the proportion of genital warts cases in women aged under 25 which would be prevented by using a quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV) in the national HPV immunisation programme and catch-up programme;
	(2)  if he will estimate the proportion of genital warts cases in men aged under 25 which would be prevented by using a quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine in the national HPV immunisation programme and catch-up programme.

Anne Milton: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) considered the cost-effectiveness of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programme against cervical cancer, which included assessment of the impact of vaccination on genital warts. A summary of the evidence considered is set out In the JCVI statement on HPV vaccines that is published at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@ab/documents/digitalasset/dh_094739.pdf
	A copy of the JCVI statement has been placed in the Library, The cost-effectiveness study produced by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) used by the JCVI was published in the  British Medical Journal in July 2008:
	www.bmj.com/content/337/bmj.a769.full
	This cost-effectiveness paper did not specifically report what proportion of genital warts cases in women or men aged under 25 would be prevented by using a quadrivalent HPV vaccine in the national HPV immunisation programme and catch-up programme.
	The HPA in the modelling paper noted on the epidemiological impact of vaccination-that the
	'model results predict that vaccinating 12 year old girls in a screened population at 80% coverage with a quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine that protects for an average of 20 years reduces the incidence of cervical cancer by 24-93% and anogenital warts by 22-100% after 100 years of an ongoing vaccination programme. Catch-up campaigns reduce incidence in the first 30 years of vaccination but have little effect beyond that. Extending vaccination to boys provides only a small additional reduction in incidence of cervical cancer and anogenital warts, with the greatest benefit when the duration of vaccine protection is short.'
	In 2010, the Department commissioned an update to the cost-effectiveness study. This study is taking into account new data on the potential protection provided by the HPV vaccines against cancer and non-cancer diseases, including genital warts. The study, which has not yet been published by the HPA, will support the next procurement exercise for the HPV immunisation programme in 2011.

TREASURY

Bank Services: Children in Care

David Hanson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the  (a) Welsh Assembly Government,  (b) Scottish Executive and  (c) Northern Ireland Assembly on the proposed junior individual savings account for looked after children; what arrangements he plans to make for the funding of the programme outside England; and whether the Barnett formula is to be applied to any new money allocated to the programme;
	(2)  whether he has had discussions with  (a) the Secretary of State for Education and  (b) devolved administrations on the implementation of savings accounts for looked-after children;
	(3)  which (a) charities and (b) non-governmental organisations he has met to discuss the provision of savings accounts for looked-after children.

Mark Hoban: Treasury Ministers have met with a number of organisations and individuals to discuss how to support looked after children through Junior ISAs. This has included Department for Education Ministers, and charities including Action for Children, Barnardo's and the Share Foundation.
	As the Chancellor announced on 22 March 2011, the Department for Education will work with others to make the necessary funding available to support looked after children through Junior ISAs. In doing so they are working with all relevant organisations-including the devolved administrations, charities and non-governmental organisations-to develop detailed proposals.
	Junior ISA accounts will be available throughout the UK. It is intended that the scheme to support looked after children through these accounts will also be available across the UK.

Business: Loans

Edward Balls: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Enterprise Finance Guarantee loans have been  (a) offered to and  (b) drawn by applicants in each parliamentary constituency; and what the monetary value of such loans was in each such category since November 2009.

Mark Prisk: holding answer 26 April 2011
	I have been asked to reply.
	Under the Enterprise Finance Guarantee (EFG), as of 13 April 2011, over 14,300 businesses have been offered loans with a value of over £1.45 billion. Of which, almost 12,500 businesses have drawn down loans totalling over £1.24 billion.
	Details of the figures on EFG lending by constituency shall be deposited in the Libraries of the House.

Car Allowances

Frank Field: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has any plans to revise the rate of tax relief on mileage allowance set by HM Revenue and Customs.

Justine Greening: At Budget 2011 the Chancellor increased the payments scheme rates from 6 April 2011 to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter. The rates had been unchanged since 2002.
	The payments scheme's existing 5p per mile passenger payment was also extended to volunteer drivers.

Government: Assets

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the revenue his Department will raise through asset sales in each of the next four financial years; and how much of such revenue will be directed to capitalisation of the Green Investment Bank.

Justine Greening: The Office of Budget Responsibility has not included any figures for asset sales proceeds in their spending review forecasts. This is on the basis that there will always be uncertainty until the late stages of an asset sale and that offering indicative valuations for specific assets, since this could weaken our ability to secure maximum value from a sale process.
	Budget 2011 announced that the Government are aiming to raise £2 billion from the sale of assets to allocate to the Green Investment Bank (GIB). This will include the £775 million net proceeds already received from the sale of High Speed 1. The spending review allocated £1 billion from departmental budgets for the GIB, meaning the total initial capitalisation will be £3 billion.

Members: Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Economic Secretary to the Treasury plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Torbay of 14 December 2010 on measures taken by his Department to reduce printing and postage costs.

Justine Greening: I replied to the hon. Member on 30 March 2011.

Members: Correspondence

Tom Harris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow South of 8 December 2010 on behalf of his constituent, Ms Sandie Boyd.

Justine Greening: Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs replied to the hon. Member on 21 March 2011.

Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department had with 
	(1)   (a) members of the local government pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions;
	(2)   (a) members of the principal civil service pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions;
	(3)   (a) members of the judicial pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions;
	(4)   (a) members of the teachers pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions.
	(5)   (a) members of the NHS pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions;
	(6)   (a) members of the police forces pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions;
	(7)   (a) members of the firefighters' pension scheme or their representatives and  (b) trustees of the scheme prior to the announcement of the outcome of the comprehensive spending review to discuss the effects of the proposed increase in the level of employee contributions.

Danny Alexander: The Government launched the Independent Public Service Pension Commission chaired by Lord Hutton, last June to conduct a fundamental structural review of public service pension provision which produced its final report in March 2011.
	Ahead of the spending review, Lord Hutton produced an interim report which found that the value of public service pensions has been increasing following dramatic increase in life expectancy at retirement. Current pensioners are expected to spend over 40% of their adult lives in retirement, compared to 30% for pensioners in the 1950s. Most of these extra costs have fallen to employers and taxpayers.
	In this report the Commission concluded that there is a clear rationale for public servants to make a greater contribution if their pensions are to remain fair to taxpayers and employees, and affordable for the country. At the spending review, in response to Lord Hutton's interim report and to ensure a fairer distribution of cost between taxpayers and scheme members, the Government announced that they would implement progressive changes to the level of employee contributions to public service pensions that lead to an additional saving of £1.8 billion a year from 2014-15, to be phased in from 2012-13. This is equivalent to three percentage point increase on average.
	Public service pension schemes are not trust based and so do not have trustees, however the Government are committed to engaging with trade unions and other groups to discuss implementation of this policy. In these discussions the Government have confirmed their commitment to the changes being progressive, and that low earners should be protected.

Public Expenditure

William Bain: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what fiscal measures his Department plans to put in place to increase levels of private sector research and development in agricultural industries during the comprehensive spending review period.

Justine Greening: The Government support private sector investment in research and development (R&D) through the R&D tax credit schemes which are available to all companies, including in the agricultural sector. Budget 2011 announced a package of reforms to the schemes, including increasing the SME scheme rate of relief to 225% by 2012, subject to state aid approval.
	The Government are also continuing to invest in science and research, ring-fencing £4.6 billion of resource spending in each year of the spending review.
	The Technology Strategy Board, Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council are together providing £90m of funding for the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Innovation Platform over the spending review period. This five year programme (launched in 2010) will help agricultural and food businesses increase their productivity while decreasing environmental impact. It includes £50 million of new investment to match fund industry R&D priorities in these sectors.
	DEFRA is also working with BIS and other Government Departments and industry to implement the recommendations of the Taylor review on encouraging private sector investment in applied research and knowledge transfer.

Public Purse: Savings

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse from the implementation of proposed increases in employee contributions to the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse from implementation of proposed increases in employee contribution to the NHS Superannuation Scheme (Scotland);
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse from the implementation of proposed increases in employee contributions to the Health and Personal Social Services Northern Ireland superannuation scheme;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse from the implementation of proposed increases in employee contributions to the Northern Ireland Teachers' Superannuation scheme;
	(5)  what his estimate is of the savings to the public purse that would arise from implementation of the proposed increases in the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme (Northern Ireland).

Danny Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 1 March 2011,  Official Report, column 436W.

Public Sector: Pay

John Redwood: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in the level of the public sector wage bill between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

Danny Alexander: The independent Office for Budget Responsibility published, as part of the "Economic and Fiscal Outlook" on 23 March 2011, projections for general Government employment to 2015-16. Underlying these projections are assumptions about general Government paybill growth, and growth in paybill per head. Further details on the methodology behind these projections can be found in Box 3.6 of the March 2011 'Economic and Fiscal Outlook', and Box 3.7 of the November 2010 publication:
	 March 2011:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/economic_and_fiscal_outlook_23032011.pdf
	 November 2010:
	http://budgetresponsibility.independent.gov.uk/wordpress/docs/econ_fiscal_outlook_291110.pdf

Public Sector: Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether his Department was responsible for formulating the assumption about the opt-out rate from public sector pensions in the Department for Work and Pensions Spending Review 2010 policy costing document; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The Spending Review 2010 Policy costing document was published by HM Treasury.
	The estimate of likely opt-out rates was scrutinised by the independent Office for Budget Responsibility.
	The Government are engaging with trades unions and other groups to discuss implementation. In these discussions the Government have confirmed its commitment to the changes being progressive, and that low earners should be protected.

Public Sector: Pensions

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Government Actuary's Department on the sustainability and progressiveness of proposed reforms to public sector pensions.

Danny Alexander: The Government Actuary's Department is a non-ministerial department that provides actuarial advice on policy proposals where relevant. In line with the practice of successive Governments and in order that advice and information is available for policy development such advice is not generally made public.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departmental Voluntary Work

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he is taking steps to increase volunteering opportunities in his office.

Nicholas Clegg: My office sits within the Cabinet Office and staff are encouraged to participate in volunteering activities in accordance with the Cabinet Office's departmental policy on volunteering, for which the Minister for the Cabinet Office is responsible.

Electoral Register

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with local authorities on steps to facilitate the use of online voter registration; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Harper: As part of looking at the implementation of individual electoral registration, officials are exploring options for improving the electoral registration process; including the practicalities and potential benefits of online registration for people seeking to register for the first time.
	The Government expect to publish a draft Bill before the summer recess, setting out their proposals for the implementation of individual electoral registration in more detail.

General Election 2010: Costs

John Spellar: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the 2010 general election.

Mark Harper: We have estimated that the cost of the 2010 UK parliamentary election will be £113,255,271.
	This figure consists of £28,655,271 for the cost of distributing candidates' mailings and a further £84.6 million for the conduct of the poll. Our estimated cost of the conduct of the poll is based on the information set out in the Parliamentary Elections (Returning Officers' Charges) Order 2010. The overall figure will be finalised once all claims from acting returning officers in Great Britain and the chief electoral officer for Northern Ireland (who are statutorily responsible for running the poll) have been received and finalised.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

British Library: Lindisfarne gospels

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will have discussions with the British Library on plans to display the Lindisfarne gospels in the North East of England.

Edward Vaizey: The British Library operates at arm's length from Government. It is a matter for the British Library Board to take decisions on access to the Lindisfarne Gospels.
	Government have encouraged a constructive dialogue between the North-East and the library on how to best serve their mutual interests while complying with the library's statutory obligations. I welcome the library's agreement to a short-term loan of the Gospels to the North-East region, and to work towards an ongoing programme of loans.

Cricket: Lancashire

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport how much funding his Department has allocated to promoting participation in cricket among young people in the  (a) Pendle borough council and  (b) Lancashire council area in each of the last five years.

Hugh Robertson: We are unable to provide the information in the format requested. Sport England record the amount of funding awarded to cricket in the Pendle local authority area and Lancashire, but cannot separately identify the specific funding allocated for initiatives to support the participation of young people in cricket, such as "Chance to Shine". Funding for cricket initiatives that have benefited young people, though not exclusively, in Lancashire and Pendle is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Lancashire 
			  £ 
			   Lottery funding  Exchequer funding 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2007-08 64,000 0 
			 2008-09 0 4,000 
			 2009-10 57,461 82,777 
			 2010-11(1) 57,936 2,000 
		
	
	
		
			  Pendle 
			  £ 
			   Lottery funding  Exchequer funding 
			 2006-07 0 0 
			 2007-08 0 0 
			 2008-09 0 0 
			 2009-10 1,500 0 
			 2010-11(1) 0 0 
			 (1) For financial year 2010-11 data is currently only available up until 31 December 2010.

Departmental Work Experience

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what remuneration package his Department's arm's length bodies offer to interns;
	(2)  how many interns his Department's arm's length bodies employed on the last date for which information is available.

Jeremy Hunt: My Department does not collate this information for its arm's length bodies. Accordingly, I have asked their chief executives to write to the hon. Member for Bury South.
	Copies of the replies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Museums and Galleries

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what funding his Department has provided to the Museum at Night scheme in each of the last three years;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the number of people who will participate in the 2011 Museum at Night scheme;
	(3)  what museums are participating in the 2011 Museum at Night scheme.

Edward Vaizey: The funding for the Museum at Night scheme in each of the last three years is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Museums, Libraries and Archives Council  Arts Council England  Total 
			 2009 15,000 n/a 15,000 
			 2010 75,000 n/a 75,000 
			 2011 75,050 19,500 94,550 
		
	
	It is estimated that the 2010 Museum at Night Scheme attracted 85,000 people who attended 345 events at 286 venues. Similar figures are being aimed for in 2011.
	To date, 218 venues have registered their events for the 2011 Museum at Night Scheme which is on target for around 250 to 300 venues participating altogether. A full list of venues, can be provided by Culture 24.

Ofcom

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what timetable has been set for Ofcom's further analysis of the potential to allocate spectrum in the 872/917 MHz band.

Edward Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, my officials spoke to Ofcom, who advised that it has not yet set a timetable for further analysis of the allocation of spectrum in the 872/917 MHz band. Ofcom will keep the situation under review and update stakeholders when they progress this work.

Olympic Games 2012

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will make it his policy to require all cleaning contracts  (a) in respect of the London 2012 Olympics and  (b) held with his Department to stipulate that the cleaning products used should be EU Ecolabel products accredited by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and if he will make a statement.

Hugh Robertson: The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) is a non-departmental public body with the freedom to set its own policies within the delegated limits set by the Department. All operational procurement decisions are matters for the ODA, and not for departmental Ministers. The ODA adheres to the Government Buying Standards for Cleaning Products and Services. It promotes and encourages environmental awareness and requires contractors to meet various environmental criteria through its procurement procedures.
	The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) is the private company responsible for staging the 2012 Games. It is currently procuring for cleaning and waste contractors for London 2012 venues. Within the tender process, potential contractors will provide details of which cleaning and consumable products they propose to use at Games-time. LOCOG is not imposing any single mandatory labelling scheme, but sustainability of products and services will be a key component of the assessment. All supplier materials need to adhere to LOCOG's Sustainable Sourcing Code.
	Within the Department EU Ecolabel products are not currently used, instead our facilities contractor use super concentrated cleaning products which are diluted on site. This enables less packaging and fewer deliveries, thus reducing our carbon footprint. All kitchens within the Department use 'Ecover' washing up liquid. The Department will discuss with the facilities management supplier the possibility of using EU Ecolabel products in the future.

Sports: Clubs

Heather Wheeler: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport if he will take steps to ensure that community sports clubs are not disadvantaged by high music licence fees ahead of planned changes to the music licensing regime.

Edward Vaizey: Responsibility for the copyright policy framework which covers the licensing of public performances of works protected by copyright rests with my colleagues in the Department for Business Innovation and Skills, but the Government have no role in setting the licence fees charged by these collecting societies which are independent commercial entities.
	In implementing changes to the arrangements for the licensing of music for charities and not for profit organisations, the Government have encouraged the Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL) to negotiate with the relevant parties or their representative bodies on the level of fees. The Sports and Recreation Alliance is currently in ongoing discussions with PPL. If an agreement cannot be reached then the matter can be referred to an independent tribunal, the Copyright Tribunal, who can set tariffs.

Telecommunications

David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent discussions he has had on the future regulation of power line telecommunications devices; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: I have been asked to reply.
	I have had no such discussions, however my officials have responded to a number of inquiries concerning power line telecommunication (PLT) equipment and its compliance with the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations. In common with most electronic products sold in the UK, PLT equipment is required to comply with the Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Regulations 2006, which are based on the European Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive, 2004/108/EC.
	Enforcement powers are delegated to the Office of Communication (Ofcom) where a radio spectrum protection or management issue occurs. Ofcom has investigated 219 incidents, with one still to resolve, but has not concluded that PLT products fail to comply with the essential requirements of the EMC Regulations. The essential requirements require that equipment shall be designed and manufactured, having regard to the state of the art and good engineering practice, so as to ensure that the electromagnetic disturbance generated does not exceed the level above which radio and telecommunications equipment or other equipment cannot operate as intended.
	The technical solution to ensure the essential requirements of the Regulations are met will vary with the state of the art, latest good engineering practice, extent of knowledge and similar variables and no revision of the technical requirement is currently foreseen.
	Power line equipment manufacturers are committed to continuous innovation as technology advances, allowing them to comply with the requirements and spirit of the regulations while providing products to better meet general consumer expectations and needs.

ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Christmas

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on  (a) Christmas cards,  (b) Christmas decorations and  (c) Christmas receptions for (i) the press and (ii) staff of his Department in December 2010 and January 2011.

Gregory Barker: In December 2010 and January 2011, DECC sent e-cards at zero cost and purchased a stand for a donated Christmas tree at a cost of £24.50. No money was spent by DECC on Christmas receptions in this period for press or other staff.

Departmental Art Works

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what art works from the Government art collection are displayed  (a) in ministerial offices and  (b) elsewhere in his Department; what estimate he has made of the monetary value of such works; and what the cost to his Department of the (i) storage, (ii) handling, (iii) transport and (iv) hanging of such works has been since his appointment.

Gregory Barker: The following works of art from the Government Art Collection are displayed in ministerial offices in the Department of Energy and Climate Change:
	A Scottish Landscape 25/75 1973 aquatint by Norman Ackroyd
	Waves II23/75 block print by Tadek Beutlich
	The River at Hammersmith after Sunset 1981 painting by Ian Caughlin
	After the Tomb 11984 painting by Jennifer Durrant
	Permit yourself to.... 23/50 (from A Billboard for Edinburgh 2008)
	Screenprint by Cerith Wynn Evans
	Spring Song 1951 painting by William Gear
	Winter Walk, N.2 1948 painting by Ivon Hitchens
	In the Studio of Jamini Roy 1976-1979 painting by Howard Hodgkin
	20.3.69 1969 painting by John Hoyland
	Sundial, Queens' College 53/75 A/P block print by Walter Hoyle
	Collage No.7 1974 collage by Trevor Jones
	Interior with Aluminium Sheet 1970 painting by Peter Jowett
	Red and Blue 2/50 1970 screenprint by Barry Martin
	Green and Orange 9/50 1970 screenprint by Barry Martin
	La Cathedralc Engloutie 1960 painting by Ceri Richards
	Bring back Edinburgh's Trams 23/50 (from A Billboard for Edinburgh 2008) Screenprint by Bob and Roberta Smith
	Icebergs, Argentine Islands, Antarctic Peninsula 1979 watercolour by David Smith
	Double Chevron and Spiral 24/250 1989 screenprint by Kate Whiteford
	Untitled 2350 (from A Billboard for Edinburgh 2008) inkjet print by Rachel Whiteread
	Landscape with Ruined Mine painting by Bryan Wynter.
	The following work of art from the Government Art Collection is displayed elsewhere in the Department of Energy and Climate Change:
	HM Queen Elizabeth II (b.1926) Queen Regnant 1952 photograph by Dorothy Wilding.
	Estimated valuations have not been provided in this answer. The current monetary value of a work of art can be accurately assessed only at the time of purchase or sale or by professional valuation. In the former case, the Collection is not actively traded; in the latter, it would not be justifiable expenditure of public funds to have works valued professionally.
	There have been no costs to the Department of Energy and Climate Change for (i) storage, (ii) handling, (iii) transport and (iv) hanging of these works of art since the Secretary of State was appointed. These costs have been borne by the Government Art Collection (Department for Culture, Media and Sport).

Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish the expense claims made by his Department's special advisers since May 2010.

Gregory Barker: A total of £251.44 has been claimed in expenses by DECC's special advisers since May 2010. Such expenses are claimed in accordance with the Department's terms and conditions.

Departmental Qualifications

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what information his Department holds on the university qualifications of his Department's  (a) directors and  (b) Permanent Secretary.

Gregory Barker: The response is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Name  Role  Qualification 
			 Moira Wallace Permanent Secretary Master Degree in Comparative Literature, Harvard university BA Hons, Modern and Medieval Languages, university of Cambridge 
			 Edmund Hosker Director General (Acting), Corporate and Professional Services B A Hons, English, university of Cambridge 
			 Simon Virley Director General, Energy Markets and Infrastructure MA Hons Philosophy, Politics and Economics, university of Oxford. MSc, Economics, London School of Economics. 
			 Phil Wynn Owen Director General, National Climate Change and Consumer Support BA Hons, Modern History, University of Oxford MA, Modern History, university of Oxford MBA, London Business School Advanced Management Programme, Harvard Business School 
			 Vanessa Howlison Director, Finance BA, Sociology and Social Administration, university of Warwick Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, IPFA 
			 Ravi Gurumurthy Director, Strategy BA Hons, Modern History, university of Oxford 
			 Paddy Feeny Director, Communications BD, Theology, university of London 
			 Alison Rumsey Director, Human Resources and Capability FCIPD CNAA Post Graduate Diploma in Personnel Management, Manchester metropolitan university HND Business Studies, Huddersfield Polytechnic 
			 Professor David MacKay Chief Scientific Adviser BA, Natural Sciences (Physics and Theoretical Physics), university of Cambridge PhD, Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology 
			 Richard Reed Non-Executive Director MA, Geography, university of Cambridge

Fuel Poverty

Lindsay Roy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the level of fuel poverty in the UK.

Gregory Barker: In 2008, the latest year for which this information is available, approximately 4.5 million households in the UK were in fuel poverty. This is equivalent to around 18% of all UK households.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Audit Commission

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much each individual  (a) board member and  (b) director of the Audit Commission received in (i) expenses, (ii) salaries including allowances and bonus payments and (iii) other benefits in kind in each of the last three years.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 27 April 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The information you request appears in the Commission's Annual Accounts each year. The accounts for the year ending 31 March 2011 are being finalised and will be published in July. The accounts for previous years are available on the Commission's website:
	www.audit-commission.gov.uk
	Hospitality registers and expenses for our Chairman, Chief Executive, Commissioners and Managing Directors are published quarterly on the website.

Audit Commission

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what away days and in-house conferences have been held outside its own premises by the Audit Commission in the last 36 months; and what the location and cost was in each such case.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 27 April 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	The Audit Commission does not hold 'away days'. None of our events off site are for leisure or recreational purposes.
	Prior to the announcement of our proposed abolition in August 2010, the Commission had over 2,000 staff located throughout England. Many were professional staff undertaking different functions for the Commission, for example audit, housing inspection and research. It is necessary to bring staff together on occasions to ensure the effectiveness of operational delivery and employee relations or for staff training. Different professional groups also have different training and development requirements. The Commission only has staff meetings where there is a specific business purpose. The purpose may be to review strategy, decide on and disseminate the business plan for the year, improve communications, improve organisational cohesion, address a specific operational issue, or for training and development, including keeping up-to-date with developments in and government policies for health, housing, local government and police authorities. Some are a mixture of these. They also had a range of titles.
	We are unable to extract information for staff meetings and their precise purpose from external bookings, including those for client meetings and training events, without incurring disproportionate costs.

Audit Commission

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which hotels in London have been booked and paid for by the Audit Commission in the last 24 months; how much such accommodation cost in each case; and for what purpose each such booking was made.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 27 April 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	Prior to the announcement of our abolition in August 2010, the Commission had over 2,000 staff located throughout England. It is necessary for staff to stay overnight in London while attending meetings at the Commission's Millbank office, or meeting with clients, including other inspectorates, government departments and representative bodies, in the London area.
	Appendix 1 lists all London hotels booked in the last 24 months, for overnight accommodation only, together with the total cost for each hotel and average room rate paid.
	Appendix 2 lists all London hotels booked in the last 24 months for training or staff meetings, together with the total cost for each hotel. The costs for training events or staff meetings include room hire, food and beverages, equipment hire and delegate rates. The Commission's long-standing policy is that external venues should only be booked if meeting rooms on Commission premises are either unavailable or unsuitable, for example they cannot accommodate the numbers involved. Pressure on Commission rooms has eased since last May with the abolition of Comprehensive Area Assessment and the ending of other inspection programmes with a consequent reduction of some 600 staff employed by the Commission.
	A copy of the Appendices will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Audit Commission: Food

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of each invoice from Leeming Pilkington to the Audit Commission in respect of food and beverage purchases in the last 12 months.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to respond to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan dated 27 April 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question outlined above has been passed to me to reply.
	The invoices from Leeming Pilkington to the Audit Commission for food and beverage purchases over the last 12 months. The invoices cover two accounts.
	The Trading Account-covers the staff cost and consumables, including sandwiches and beverages for lunches, for training events and other meetings held on Commission premises.
	The Vending Sales Account-mainly covers the cost of sandwiches and confectionery for vending machines. Items are purchased by staff from vending machines and the income is used to defray the cost of the goods. The Charity Commission also pay a proportion of the cost through a lease service charge. The costs of supplying and servicing the machines are included in the Trading Account invoices.
	One invoice relates to a reception for the departure from the Commission of its then Chief Executive in March 2010. The reception was attended by the Cabinet Secretary, the Comptroller and Auditor General and other senior staff from the Department of Communities and Local Government and Cabinet Office.
	The current catering agreement comes to an end on 31 May 2011 and we will be using a local supplier based offsite from 1 June 2011.
	A copy of the invoices will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

Audit Commission: Gifts

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will place in the Library a copy of the declarations of gifts made to each individual director and board member of the Audit Commission in each of the last two years.

Bob Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to my hon. Friend direct.
	 Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 27 April 2011:
	Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
	Declarations for Board Members and Managing Directors are available on the Audit Commission's website:
	http://www.audit-commission.gov.uk/legal/freedomofinformation/publicationscheme/hospitalityandexpenses/pages/default.aspx

Council Tax: Essex

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate he has made of the average change to council tax bills for households in  (a) Southend and  (b) Essex between 2010-11 and 2011-12.

Bob Neill: The average Band D council tax bill for both Southend-on-Sea council and Essex county council remained unchanged between 2010-11 and 2011-12.
	Details of the changes in council tax bills for all authorities in England between 2010-11 and 2011-12 were published on the Department for Communities and Local Government website on 23 March 2011. They can be found at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/localregional/localgovernmentfinance/statistics/counciltax/

Departmental Video Recordings

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1122W, on departmental video recordings, which contractors were hired to film the Hazel Blears video message in August 2008; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each invoice arising from the production of that video message.

Bob Neill: Two Media Trust invoices have now been placed in the Library of the House detailing the costs arising from the Hazel Blears-fronted video launching the White Paper: "Communities in Control: Real Power Real People", produced in August 2008. One invoice shows the £11,790 quoted in the 9 March answer for the costs of producing the video.
	The second invoice, for £1,210, is for running out DVDs of a revised version of the video in November 2008 for distribution at the 'Chain Reaction' conference attended by more than 50 voluntary-sector organisations.

Employment Agencies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much his Department spent on  (a) recruitment agency fees,  (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and  (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available.

Bob Neill: In the financial year 2009-10 the Department spent £557,000 on  (a) recruitment agency fees, nothing on  (b) outplacement agency fees and £5.45 million on  (c) (external) staff training.
	These figures have been extracted from the Public Sector Procurement Expenditure survey for 2009-10.
	In order to drive down costs, the Department is enforcing all Cabinet Office controls on applicable areas of spend. This includes a pan-Government recruitment freeze, greater scrutiny of all spend on training and stricter controls on spend on consultancy, including a review of all consultancy contracts every three months to ensure that they are necessary.

Enterprise Zones

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to provide local enterprise partnerships with information on the application process for enterprise zones.

Bob Neill: Government are already in discussion with the first wave of 11 local enterprise partnerships on their proposals for enterprise zones.
	Following the announcement at Budget, Government promised to host two workshops, the first of which was held on 6 April for the first tranche of 11 local enterprise partnerships. A further workshop will be held in early May for the remaining interested local enterprise partnerships.
	The 'Enterprise Zone Prospectus' published at Budget also provides guidance to the remaining interested local enterprise partnerships on what issues they may want to consider when submitting their expressions of interest for enterprise zones.
	The timetable seeks expressions of interest to be submitted by end April. We will publish more detailed criteria once we have received these.

Enterprise Zones

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria he proposes to apply to the competition to identify 10 further enterprise zones.

Bob Neill: The criteria to identify a further 10 enterprise zones will be published in due course.

Enterprise Zones

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Blackpool South (Mr Marsden) of 1 April 2011,  Official Report, columns 529-30W, on enterprise zones, what assessment he has made of the case for establishing enterprise zones in the areas announced on 23 March 2011; and if he will publish the evidence on which his decision was made.

Bob Neill: Seven of the eleven local enterprise partnerships were selected on the basis that they encompass one or more of England's largest cities, ranked by population. The remaining four local enterprise partnerships were selected on the basis of need, using the published location criteria used to assess bids to the Regional Growth Fund.

Enterprise Zones: Non-domestic Rates

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what mechanism he plans to use to implement discounted business rates for enterprise zones.

Bob Neill: Local authorities will use their powers to grant local discounts that are contained in the Localism Bill, subject to parliamentary approval. The costs will be reimbursed by central Government.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition of  (a) zero-carbon homes and  (b) zero-carbon non-domestic buildings his Department uses.

Andrew Stunell: The Government have set out in the growth review, published on 23 March, its policy on the definition of zero carbon homes from 2016. This can be found under "Action 9, paragraphs 2.297 to 2.300, of The Plan for Growth".
	http://cdn.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_growth.pdf
	On 20 December 2010,  Official Report, columns 145-47WS, the Minister for Housing and Local Government, the right hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps), announced that this Government are committed to introducing zero carbon new non-domestic buildings from 2019, and will maintain consistency between the definitions for domestic and non-domestic buildings as far as is practical.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultations he has had with stakeholders on the proposed reduction of the standards promoted through the zero carbon home scheme prior to his announcement of the changes.

Andrew Stunell: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon and the Government's approach will minimise costs to housebuilders and so help them to deliver the new homes the country needs. Although it would have been inappropriate to pre-empt the Budget announcement by consulting external partners on the specific terms of the announcement in the Plan for Growth-my Department has had, and continues to have, a continuous dialogue with the full range of interested parties; for example, through the 2016 Task Force and the independent Zero Carbon Hub, on its zero carbon homes policy.
	The Zero Carbon Hub has led a cross-sector research group, with representation from both house builders and environmental groups, which provided expert recommendations, prior to the recent announcement alongside the Budget, on the right minimum levels of carbon reductions to be required on the site of the home itself.

Housing: Carbon Emissions

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effects on  (a) levels of employment in and  (b) the contribution to the economy of the construction products sector from the decision to reduce carbon standards for new homes arising from the work of the zero carbon home taskforce.

Andrew Stunell: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon and the new definition will minimise costs to house builders and help them to deliver the new homes the country needs. The construction sector should benefit from the certainty which this announcement on the future regulatory requirements for zero carbon homes provides; enabling them to invest with confidence in new construction products and methods. The Government expect to publish an impact assessment shortly which will describe the impacts of the policy.

Housing: Construction

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities exceeded the housebuilding projections in 2010-11.

Grant Shapps: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold such data.

Housing: Planning Permission

Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  whom his Department consulted on proposals to change requirements for planning permission to convert premises from commercial to residential use;
	(2)  what the timetable is for the consultation on the proposed changes to the planning process in relation to permission for conversions from commercial to residential use;
	(3)  what representations he has received on the proposed changes on the conversion of premises from commercial to residential use.

Bob Neill: The consultation on the relaxation of the planning rules for change of use from commercial to residential was published on the 8 April 2011. The consultation ends on the 30 June 2011.
	It is a public consultation and it is therefore open to anyone to respond. The consultation document can be found on the Department's website at:
	www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/relaxationchangeconsultation
	A summary of representations received will be published after the consultation has closed.

Local Government

Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information his Department holds on the number of arrests made at council meetings in England in  (a) 2008,  (b) 2009 and  (c) 2010.

Bob Neill: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not hold this information.

Local Government Finance

Chris Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 4 April 2011,  Official Report, column 729, on Government funding (distribution), what the evidential basis was for the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State that no local authority in the country faces a reduction in its real expenditure of more than 7.7 per cent.

Bob Neill: holding answer 26 April 2011
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 26 April 2011,  Official Report, column 2MC.

Local Government: Bye Laws

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans he has to allow local authorities to create or abolish bylaws without requiring his Department's approval; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: We intend to take forward proposals to reduce unnecessary bureaucracy associated with byelaws, and will make a further announcement in due course.

Local Partnerships

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the remuneration, including basic salary, bonus, allowances, expenses and pension contribution was of each individual director and board member of Local Partnerships in each of the last five years; and if he will place a copy of the most recent annual report and accounts of Local Partnerships in the Library.

Bob Neill: Local Partnerships is a joint venture between central Government (HM Treasury) and local government (Local Government Association). It has its own board to which it is directly accountable. Questions about its activities should be put directly to Local Partnerships.
	A copy of Local Partnerships' 2009-10 accounts (covering the eight months from its incorporation on 1 July 2009) has been placed in the Library of the House.

Mobile Homes

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2011,  Official Report, column 249W, on Park Homes: ownership, what his policy is on introducing a fit and proper person test for park home site owners; and if he will make a statement.

Grant Shapps: As I announced in my answer of 9 February 2011,  Official Report, column 294W, on Park Homes, I remain concerned that a fit and proper test for park home site owners could prove bureaucratic. I do, however, propose to consult shortly on a range of other measures to improve the licensing regime that applies to park home sites to enable local authorities to more effectively ensure the health and safety of residents are better protected.

Non-domestic Rates: Milton Keynes

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in Milton Keynes received business rate hardship relief in 2010.

Bob Neill: The information requested is not held centrally.
	Local authorities in England provide national non-domestic rates outturn information on their NNDR3 statistical returns. While these show the amounts of business rate hardship relief granted they do not show the numbers of businesses affected.

Private Rented Housing: Smoke Alarms

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will estimate the  (a) number of jobs which would be created and  (b) contribution to the economy of implementing proposals to make hard-wired smoke alarms mandatory in private rented dwellings.

Andrew Stunell: The Department has no data on the potential to create jobs and contribution to the economy on the implementation of this proposal.
	There are around 3 million properties within the private rented sector. The Fire and Risk Management Journal suggests that the cost of installing a hard-wired, battery backup, interlinked system with three detectors would be in the region of £180 to £400. This would mean a cost to the sector of £540 million to £1.2 billion. The cost of ensuring enforcement would also need to be taken into consideration.
	It is education around fire safety that provides the best value for money. The installation of properly maintained smoke alarms in every household is at the centre of efforts to reduce fire death in the home, as they provide important and vital early warning of fire and can help people to escape. The Fire Kills campaign has for some time conducted high profile campaigns promoting smoke alarms and maintenance messages.

Renewable Energy: Planning Permission

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government with reference to paragraph 1.34 of The Plan for Growth, whether his policy on  (a) a presumption in favour of sustainable development and  (b) processing of planning applications and appeals within 12 months and fast-tracking of major infrastructure projects applies to (i) onshore wind and (ii) other renewable energy infrastructure.

Bob Neill: The presumption in favour of sustainable development will be part of the national planning policy framework, and so apply to development plan policies and decisions on planning applications; this includes those relating to onshore wind and most other forms of renewable energy. The proposal to process planning applications and appeals within 12 months will also apply to onshore wind and other renewable energy proposals, unless they are of such a scale that requires an application under the major infrastructure planning regime, in which case the 'fast-tracking' of proposals using the major infrastructure process will apply.

Social Rented Housing

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes were available for  (a) rent and  (b) shared ownership sale by housing associations and housing trusts in (i) Milton Keynes and (ii) England on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Andrew Stunell: Figures are collected at local authority district level for housing associations and housing trusts who are Registered Providers. The Regulatory and Statistical Return managed by the Tenant Services Authority asks Registered Providers to report data on their stock.
	The Returns showed that as at 31 March 2010 registered housing associations and housing trusts owned approximately 7,215 homes in Milton Keynes for social rent. Of these, 447 units comprised housing specifically intended for older people, 320 comprised other supported housing and the remaining 6,448 were intended for households with general needs. Of these 'general needs' homes, 90 were vacant, of which 53 were available for letting. Information on vacancy in the stock of supported housing and housing for older people is not collected by local authority area.
	The Returns also showed that as at 31 March 2010 registered housing associations and housing trusts owned approximately 2,242,657 homes in England for social rent. Of these, approximately 315,777 units comprised housing specifically intended for older people, approximately 101,617 comprised other supported housing and the remaining 1,825,263 were intended for households with general needs. Of these 'general needs' homes, 27,946 were vacant, of which 12,101 were available for letting.
	During the year to 31 March 2010 there were 356 low cost home ownership sales made by Registered Providers of their stock in Milton Keynes, and 13,721 across England.
	Additionally, properties are made available for shared ownership by other providers, including through Section 106 agreements.
	Additional affordable homes since April 2010 will count towards the Affordable Homes element of the New Homes Bonus, which provides a powerful incentive for local authorities to increase housing supply. Milton Keynes will receive a £350 premium per affordable home for the six years on top of the main part of the Bonus, which, in total, is £2,513,998 for year one.

Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the capacity of the social rented sector to offer alternative accommodation to tenants who need to move to smaller properties following the restriction of housing benefit to household size  (a) nationally and  (b) in each region.

Grant Shapps: holding answer 26 April 2011
	 An impact assessment was published by the Department for Work and Pensions. The DWP and my Department are working with local authorities, social landlords and other interested parties on implementation and associated issues ahead of the introduction of the proposed changes in 2013.

Tenancy Deposit Schemes

Mark Tami: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the total level of compensation paid to tenants by landlords for failure to comply with the Deposit Protection scheme in each year since its inception;
	(2)  how many tenants have applied for recompense from landlords for failure to comply with the requirements of the Deposit Protection scheme in each year since its inception;
	(3)  how many landlords have been found to be in breach of the Deposit Protection scheme in each year since its inception.

Grant Shapps: My Department does not hold this information.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Departmental Public Transport

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date  (a) he and  (b) each other Minister in his Department last travelled by (i) London Underground and (ii) public bus services on government business; how many times (A) he and (B) each other Minister in his Department has travelled by each such form of transport on government business since May 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
	The following information gives details of this Department's Ministers use of public transport:
	
		
			  Minister  Date last travelled on a bus  Number of times since May 2010  Dated last travelled on the London Underground  Number of times since May 2010 
			 Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr Duncan Smith) Not used Not applicable Not used Not applicable 
			 Minister for Employment (Chris Grayling) 1 April 2011 1 3 March 2011 46 
			 Minister for Pensions (Steve Webb) Not used Not applicable 30 March 2011 11 
			 Minister for Disabled People (Maria Miller) Not used Not applicable 17 February 2011 3 
			 Minister for Welfare Reform (Lord Freud) 1 April 2011 1 The Minister has a Freedom Pass which is not monitored by this Department Not applicable

Departmental Public Transport

Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of his ministerial team have been issued with  (a) an Oyster card and  (b) a (i) monthly and (ii) annual travel card valid on London Transport and paid for by his Department for use while travelling on government business.

Chris Grayling: Section 10 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance on travel for Ministers and makes clear that Ministers must ensure that they always make efficient and cost-effective travel arrangements.
	The Minister for Pensions, the hon. Member for Thornbury and Yate (Steve Webb) and I have Oyster cards paid for by this Department for use on government business.

Departmental Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the staff vacancy rate in his Department was in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in his Department's budget for 2011-12.

Chris Grayling: The Department has a reducing headcount profile and a freeze on recruitment has been in place in the Department since May last year. Replacement of leavers is authorised only in exceptional circumstances and is subject to Chief Executive Officer and Permanent Secretary approval. All exceptions made to the freeze are reported to Ministers on a monthly basis.
	The Department does not record a staff vacancy rate. Staff turnover rate is used as a key measure in workforce planning.
	The turnover rate is used to monitor the pace at which staff leave as a proportion of the total number of staff in the Department. Turnover is expressed as an annual percentage rate.
	In February 2011 the annual departmental turnover rate for permanent staff was 3.81 %. This rate excludes all staff on fixed term contracts. Since April last year there has been a slight upward trend in the turnover rate and our current planning assumption is that it will rise from its current rate to 4.00% during 2011-12.

Employment: Sickness Absence

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the terms of reference are of the review of sickness absence at work announced by his Department on 17 February 2011.

Chris Grayling: The independent review of sickness absence in Great Britain was announced by the Prime Minister on 17 February 2011. Its terms of reference can be found at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/sickness-absence-review

Employment: Sickness Absence

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions who will be consulted as part of the review of sickness absence at work announced by his Department on 17 February 2011.

Chris Grayling: The independent review of sickness absence in Great Britain has begun to engage with a wide range of stakeholders including:
	trade unions;
	employers and those representing employers groups;
	health care professionals and health care representative groups;
	industry professionals including insurers and providers of occupational health and vocational rehabilitation services;
	the public sector and public sector employers; and
	other Governments Departments and the devolved Administrations.
	The review has also established a web presence at:
	www.dwp.gov.uk/sickness-absence-review
	and welcomes contributions from all interested individuals or groups who should email:
	sickness.absencereview@dwp.gsi.gov.uk
	with contributions to the review.

Employment: Sickness Absence

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the review of sickness absence at work announced by his Department on 17 February 2011 to report.

Chris Grayling: The independent review of sickness absence in Great Britain is expected to report in autumn 2011.

Harrington Review

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress is being made on implementing the recommendations of the Harrington Review into workplace capability assessments; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: We are committed to taking forward the Review's recommendations so that we can make the system fairer and more effective.
	Many of these changes are already in place and we will implement the remainder by summer to coincide with the first work capability assessments of incapacity benefits claimants taking part in the full nationwide reassessment.

Housing Benefit

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what data his Department will need in order to carry out the review of changes to housing benefit committed to in the Government's response to the Work and Pensions Select Committee's Second Report of 2010-11, on housing benefit; how he will measure the effects of housing benefit changes on overcrowding; and if he will make a statement.

Steve Webb: The Department has conducted a procurement exercise with leading research organisations for the independent review of the impact of the housing benefit measures.
	We anticipate that it will consider the effects of housing benefit changes on overcrowding in the private sector and include fieldwork with different types of households in a range of areas across Great Britain.

Housing: Finance

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what criteria his Department used to determine the allocation of discretionary housing payments to local authorities in England for 2011-12; and how much has been allocated to each.

Steve Webb: The formula that has been used to allocate the original £20 million of discretionary housing payments (DHP) is the same as that used in previous years. Each authority's allocation is based on the mid-point between its DHP spend for the latest year for which we have reliable data and its contribution for that year.
	The remaining £10 million has been allocated based upon the Department's estimates of the total gross reduction in housing benefit entitlement in each local authority. The overall allocation has been adjusted following discussions with the local authority associations to ensure that no local authority is allocated less in 2011-12 than they were in 2010-11.
	All local authorities were advised of their individual allocation on 2 February 2011:
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/s2-2011.pdf

Incapacity Benefit: Sunderland

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether any workplace capability assessments have been conducted on existing incapacity benefit claimants in the Sunderland area in place of personal capability assessments to date.

Chris Grayling: Reassessing all those on incapacity benefits is a significant task and we are undertaking it in a staged way in order to manage risks and learn from experience.
	The process began on 11 October 2010 with a trial which was restricted to cases in the Aberdeen and Burnley areas.
	The next step, from 28 February 2011, was an introductory phase involving small numbers of cases nationally-the first work capability assessments (WCAs) from this phase are due to commence from 11 April 2011 and this may include small numbers of cases from Sunderland.
	Full roll-out of national reassessment began on 4 April 2011. To date this exercise has not generated any WCAs.

Independent Living Fund

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 14 March 2011,  Official Report, column 125W, on the Independent Living Fund, when his Department plans to launch its consultation on the Independent Living Fund; whom it plans to consult; and what issues it plans to consult on.

Maria Miller: Our consultation on how we can best support the needs of the 21,000 users of the Independent Living Fund (ILF) beyond the end of this parliament will take place following the report of the Independent Commission on the Funding of Care and Support.
	We have committed to consulting with disabled people, the current users of the ILF, local authorities, the devolved administrations and other interested parties.
	The Government are committed to delivering genuine choice and control for disabled people through further personalisation and localisation of care and support; we will consult how the needs of the 21,000 can be best met in line with those objectives.

NHS: Swimming Pools

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost to his Department was of maintaining the swimming pool at the NHS premises at Quarry house, Leeds in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Chris Grayling: The Department of Health shares Quarry house in Leeds with the Department for Work and Pensions, and DWP is responsible for the property.
	DWP occupies its properties, including Quarry house, under the terms of a 20-year private finance initiative contract entered into in 1998, and pays an all inclusive unitary charge. Maintenance of the swimming pool is included within the contract. The cost is not separately identifiable The pool and associated leisure centre are franchised to a separate service provider which charges for access by DWP and DH staff and a number of external public groups.

Nurses

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether staff in his Department and the public bodies for which it is responsible have direct access to nurse-based medical advice as part of his Department's absence management policy.

Chris Grayling: Managers employed by the Department for Work and Pensions and public bodies for which it is responsible may, when necessary, refer employees to a nurse-based occupational health service. This service is delivered predominantly by telephone and provides advice about reducing the adverse effects of a health condition on the employee's work performance or about helping the employee quickly to return to work from sick leave.

Sick Leave

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets he has set for the reduction of rates of sickness and unauthorised absence in his Department and the public bodies for which it is responsible.

Chris Grayling: The Department for Work and Pensions has a target to reduce sickness absence to 7.7 days per employee per year, or lower, by 31 March 2012. We have consistently reduced sickness absence from a level of 11.1 days per employee per year in 2007 to 8.1 days per employee per year currently, and will strive for further improvement.
	We aim to meet the target through an ongoing programme to help employees maintain good health, such as providing stress counselling, and by appropriate use of occupational health services to rehabilitate staff that do take sick leave. If, following the provision of all reasonable help, an employee is unable to maintain a satisfactory attendance record, we will take administrative action. Where necessary, this will include dismissal or retirement.
	We have not set a target for other types of unauthorised leave because the vast majority of unauthorised leave, when it occurs, relates to strike action. The Department's aspiration is to avoid strikes.

Winter Fuel Payments

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will assess the potential savings to the Exchequer of means testing the winter fuel allowance such that no one with an income of more than £35,000 is entitled to claim the benefit.

Steve Webb: Winter fuel payment eligibility covers those who have reached women's state pension age (including men who have yet to reach the male state pension age of 65) and are ordinarily resident in the UK.
	Information on winter fuel payment eligibility and households with higher annual incomes is available from data collected in the Family Resources Survey.
	If entitlement to winter fuel payments were restricted to those in households with annual net before housing costs income of £35,000 or less, it is estimated that the total winter fuel payment bill for Great Britain would reduce by £270 million per year in 2011-12 prices.
	In 2011-12, winter fuel payment expenditure is forecast to be £2.124 billion. As such, the saving represented by restricting to those in households with annual net before housing costs income of £35,000 or less represents 13%.
	 Notes:
	1. Information on household income and eligibility for winter fuel payments are available from the Family Resources Survey, for which 2008-09 is the latest year available.
	2. Estimates are based on survey data and are therefore subject to uncertainty. For this reason savings are rounded to the nearest £10 million.
	3. For the purpose of this question, net household incomes before housing costs have been used. This includes net earnings from employment and self-employment, state support, income from occupational and private pensions, investment income and other sources. Incomes are net of income tax, national insurance and council tax. In practice, the level of savings may vary due to how this would be implemented. The costings assume those who would be eligible for winter fuel payments under the current system in a household with net income above £35,000 per annum in 2011-12 no longer receive winter fuel payments. It assumes that all other households are unaffected.
	4. Savings to winter fuel payment expenditure use the 2011-12 expenditure forecasts that are consistent with the Budget 2011 forecasts and are therefore based on a £200 payment to households containing someone aged over female state pension age, with an additional £100 payment to households containing someone aged 80 or over. There are additional rules determining how much households containing more than one eligible individual and individuals in receipt of certain benefits receive. These additional rules are also included in the calculations. Family Resources Survey data have been used to calculate the proportion of expenditure which goes to households above the income level as specified.

BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS

Apprentices

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of apprenticeship starts for those aged  (a) 16 to 18,  (b) 19 to 25 and  (c) over 25 years were undertaken by individuals who were already employees of the employer offering the apprenticeship in the last quarter for which figures are available.

John Hayes: Information on the number of apprenticeships started by individuals already in the employment of the employer offering the apprenticeship is not available.
	Table 1 shows the number of apprenticeship starts in England by age for the second quarter of 2010/11 (provisional), the latest quarter for which data is available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by age, between November 2010 and January 2011 (Provisional). 
			   Apprenticeship starts (Provisional) 
			  Age  Count  Percentage 
			 16-18 years old 22,500 24.6 
			 19-24 years old 29,400 32.2 
			 25 years and older 39,500 43.2 
			 Total 91,500 100 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. 2. Age is based on age at the start of the programme.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 31 March 2011:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Apprentices

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many apprenticeship starts there were in each employment sector in each of the last 12 quarters for which figures are available.

John Hayes: Tables 1 to 4 show apprenticeship starts by sector subject area for each of the last 12 quarters for which data are available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Apprenticeship programme starts by sector subject area and quarter, 2007/08 
			   2007/08 
			  Sector subject area  February 2008 to April 2008  May 2008 to July 2008 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 700 900 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing - - 
			 Business, Administration and Law 13,600 16,500 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 2,300 4,700 
			 Education and Training 100 100 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 9,000 6,000 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 8,100 8,800 
			 Information and Communication Technology 1,300 1,500 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture - - 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 1,300 1,900 
			 Preparation for Life and Work - - 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 11,100 12,400 
			 Science and Mathematics - - 
			 Unknown 700 1,000 
			 Total 48,400 53,800 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Apprenticeship programme starts by sector subject area and quarter, 2008/09 
			   2008/09 
			  Sector subject area  August 2008 to October 2008  November 2008 to January 2009  February 2009 to April 2009  May 2009 to July 2009  Total 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 2,500 1,100 900 700 5,200 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing 100 - 100 100 200 
			 Business, Administration and Law 21,300 15,600 16,200 10.900 64,100 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 19,800 3,900 2,100 3.500 29,200 
			 Education and Training 300 200 400 300 1,200 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 19,400 6,500 5,800 5,300 37,000 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 11,800 8,100 8,400 6,600 34,900 
			 Information and Communication Technology 3,500 2,100 1,900 1.300 8,800 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture - - - - - 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 3,800 2,100 2,600 2,800 11,300 
			 Preparation for Life and Work - - - - - 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 19,900 10,000 10.100 8,100 48,000 
			 Science and Mathematics - - - - - 
			 Unknown - - - - - 
			 Total 102,300 49,800 48,300 39,500 239,900 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Apprenticeship programme starts by sector subject area and quarter 2009/10 
			   2009/10 
			  Sector subject area  August 2009 to October 2010  November 2009 to January 2010  February 2010 to April 2010  May 2010 to July 2010  Total 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 2,600 1,000 1,100 1,000 5,700 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing 200 100 100 100 400 
			 Business, Administration and Law 21,000 14,600 21,400 19,500 76,600 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 14,900 3,500 3,000 3,800 25,200 
			 Education and Training 300 100 300 200 900 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 17,800 6,200 6,900 7,000 37,900 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 13,900 8,200 11,100 10,900 44,200 
			 Information and Communication Technology 4,600 2,000 4,100 1,900 12,600 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture - - - - - 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 4,600 2,300 3,400 4,400 14,700 
			 Preparation for Life and Work - - - - - 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 19,400 13,000 13,500 15,700 61,600 
			 Science and Mathematics - - - - - 
			 Unknown - - - - - 
			 Total 99,300 51,000 64,800 64,500 279,700 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Apprenticeship programme starts by sector subject area and quarter, 2010/11 
			   Provisional 2010/11 (August to January) 
			  Sector subject area  August 2010 to October 2010 (provisional)  November 2010 to January 2011 (provisional) 
			 Agriculture, Horticulture and Animal Care 2,700 1,300 
			 Arts, Media and Publishing 300 200 
			 Business, Administration and Law 27,700 25,700 
			 Construction, Planning and the Built Environment 16,000 4,100 
			 Education and Training 700 700 
			 Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies 17,800 8,400 
			 Health, Public Services and Care 17,200 18,100 
			 Information and Communication Technology 5,800 3,000 
			 Languages, Literature and Culture - - 
			 Leisure, Travel and Tourism 6,100 4,700 
			 Preparation for Life and Work - - 
			 Retail and Commercial Enterprise 27,700 25,300 
			 Science and Mathematics - - 
			 Unknown - - 
			 Total 122,000 91,500 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Provisional estimates for 2010/11 are not directly comparable with figures for earlier years.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on the number of apprenticeship starts is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 31 March:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current

Arms Trade: Libya

John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the oral statement by the Prime Minister of 21 March 2011,  Official Report, column 707, on United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, and the answers from the Minister of State for Business and Enterprise of 9 March 2011,  Official Report, column 1173W and 31 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 475-6W, on arms trade: exports, how many  (a) single and  (b) open licences for Libya remain unrevoked; and what (i) equipment and (ii) services are covered by those licences.

Mark Prisk: There are eight Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) that remain unrevoked for Libya.
	These licences were for the temporary export of goods for exhibition purposes. It is a condition of the licence that the goods must be returned to the UK within 12 months of issue. If we were to revoke the licences the condition that the goods must be returned to the UK would no longer hold.
	The goods permitted for export by these licences are as follows:
	gun mountings, machine guns (one), sniper rifles (one), weapon cleaning equipment, weapon sights;
	components for assault rifles, components for machine guns, training small arms ammunition;
	assault rifles (three), assault rifles (four), semi-automatic pistols (four), sniper rifles (two);
	accessories for military small arms training equipment, components for military small arms training equipment, military small arms training equipment, software for the use of military small arms training equipment;
	components for military small arms training equipment, military small arms training equipment, software for the use of military small arms training equipment;
	all-wheel drive vehicles with ballistic protection, military utility vehicles;
	components for military improvised explosive device decoying/detection/disposal/jamming equipment, military improvised explosive device decoying/detection/disposal/jamming equipment;
	software enabling equipment to function as forward observer/target recognition training equipment, software for the simulation of military operation scenarios.
	There is also one Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) where Libya is a permitted destination. This licence permits the export of improvised explosive device disposal equipment.
	Licences for the export of dual use goods to Libya for use by private companies also remain extant.

Arms Trade: Saudi Arabia

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether the licence granted to BAE Systems for the export of Tactica armoured vehicles to Saudi Arabia included conditions that 
	(1)  they should be used only for defensive purposes inside Saudi Arabia;
	(2)  machine guns should not be fitted to them.

Mark Prisk: There was no such condition attached to the export licence.

Companies: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many publicly-quoted companies with headquarters in the North East there were in each of the last five years.

Edward Davey: Companies House does not hold any information on companies broken down by regions. Neither could it identify which public limited companies were also quoted companies. Also Companies House only holds information on companies' registered offices, which are not necessarily their headquarters.

Debts: Advisory Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many of the 129 debt management firms cautioned by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in September 2010 and which have not had their consumer credit licence revoked are still not in compliance with OFT guidance on debt management;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that debt management firms cautioned by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in September 2010 and which still hold a consumer credit licence are not operating within OFT guidance; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Following publication of The Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) compliance review findings report in September 2010 and its warning to 129 debt management firms, 42 debt firms have surrendered their licences, action has been taken to revoke licences in 10 cases (two companies have subsequently surrendered their licences), four are under further investigation and 75 further cases are currently in the process of being reviewed.
	The review process is ongoing and the OFT will be in contact with each of the 75 businesses to discuss its analysis. Those who fail to meet compliance standards may also find themselves subject to licensing action, and where enforcement action is taken, the OFT will announce this in the usual way.

Debts: Advisory Services

Nia Griffith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on measures to prevent debt management firms from contravening the debt management guidance issued by the Office of Fair Trading.

Edward Davey: All who provide debt management services are required to be licensed under the Consumer Credit Act 1974. The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has a duty to ensure that applicants for licences are fit to engage in the activities for which they wish to be licensed, and to monitor the continuing fitness of those to whom licences have been granted. Where the OFT has evidence of unfair practices, action can be taken to refuse or revoke or place conditions on the consumer credit licence of those concerned.
	The OFT's Debt Management Guidance sets out minimum standards for debt management companies in the marketing of their services, pre-contract contact, the provision of pre-contract information, contract terms, advice and the nature of the debt management service provided. The OFT take enforcement action where it has evidence that licensees are acting in breach of this guidance. As part of the OFT's compliance strategy for this sector it will also issue a revised version of the guidance for consultation in the summer, which will provide additional clarification on unfair practices.

Departmental Chief Scientific Advisers

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the future of the role of Chief Scientific Adviser to his Department.

David Willetts: holding answer 31 March 2011
	The current Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is Professor Brian Collins, whose contract ends in May 2011.
	The future of the role of the BIS Chief Scientific Adviser is currently being discussed within the Department and with the Government Chief Scientific Adviser as part of a broader consideration of the Department's science and engineering capability going forward. The post is expected to be advertised shortly.

Departmental Conditions of Employment

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of his Department's adherence to each of the principles of good employment practice set out in the Cabinet Office publication Principles of Good Employment Practice.

Edward Davey: No formal assessment has yet been undertaken of how the Department has adhered to the Cabinet Office publication "Principles of Good Employment Practice" given their relatively recent launch on 13 December 2010. However, processes and controls are in place to ensure that the principles are complied with on an ongoing basis by the following means:
	The principles have been disseminated across the Department's network of agencies and non-departmental public bodies for consideration in procurement activities.
	Tender documents which are issued by the Department follow the Cabinet Office best practice guidance.
	The Department reviews its procurement procedures and documentation regularly to ensure continuing compliance with Cabinet Office guidance.
	The Department uses outcome based specifications wherever appropriate. Procurement staff seek opportunities where appropriate to promote skills training, qualifications and apprenticeships in contracts.
	The Department's standard terms and conditions contain clauses covering discrimination, disability and race equality. Should a breach of these conditions occur, the Department has the ultimate option to terminate the contract.

Departmental Contracts

Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what contracts his Department and its associated public bodies signed with Lockheed Martin in each of the last 10 years; and for what purposes each such contract was let.

Edward Davey: The Department and its predecessors have let no contracts with Lockheed Martin in the last 10 years.
	Details of contracts let by associated public bodies are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Correspondence

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills when he plans to provide a substantive response to the letter to his Department from the hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross of 13 October 2010 on the case of Christopher Shepherd.

Edward Davey: I responded to my hon. Friend for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross's letter of 13 October 2010 on 6 April 2011.

Departmental Manpower

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what public sector job reduction targets have been set for his Department and its non-departmental public bodies for each of the next 24 months; and what steps he plans to take to meet such targets.

Edward Davey: The Government have not set targets for a reduction in the number of posts in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills or its non-departmental public bodies.
	Work force implications of the spending review settlement will depend on internal budget allocations and subsequent management decisions.
	It is anticipated that we will need to reduce staff numbers across the core Department by around 275 people in 2011-12.

Departmental Manpower

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the job title is of each member of staff in each division of his Department and paid through his Department's payroll who  (a) is on loan from another Government Department and  (b) has shared responsibilities with another Government Department.

Edward Davey: There are 72 people on the Department's payroll who are on loan from other Government Departments. Records are not held centrally on job titles but the following table shows this broken down by grade.
	
		
			  Grade  Number of people loan in-payroll 
			 AO 1 
			 EO 7 
			 HEO 19 
			 SEO 1 
			 Grade 7 32 
			 Grade 6 9 
			 SCS 3 
		
	
	In addition to the above UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) have 49 military staff on loan from the MOD who are on MOD payroll but UKTI refund the costs.
	In terms of shared responsibilities with other Government Departments, the current staffing is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Shared responsibilities  Current staffing 
			 Joint Apprenticeships Unit (with DfE) 1 Deputy Director 
			  3 Grade 6 
			  2 Grade 7 
			  3 SEO 
			  5 HEO/Faststream 
			  1 EO 
			  1 EA 
			   
			 Trade Policy Unit (with DfID) 4 Deputy Director 
			  4 Grade 6 
			  10 Grade 7 
			  3 Economists 
			  3 SEO 
			  15 HEO 
			  5 Faststream 
			  1 Economic Assistants 
			  3 EO 
			   
			 Private Office to Lord Green (with FCO) 1 Grade 7 
			  0.25 HEO 
			  4EO 
			   
			 Private Office to John Hayes MP (with DfE) 1 SEO 
			  1 FS 
			  2 EO

Departmental Manpower

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many staff from his Department are on loan to other Government departments.

Edward Davey: There are currently 186 employees on loan out to other Government Departments of which 60 of these are staff from UK Trade and Investment.

Departmental Manpower

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what units of his Department in place on the date of his appointment are shared with other Government Departments; how many staff at each grade from Executive Officer to Grade 3 are assigned to each such unit; and which Departments meet the staff costs of each member of staff in such units.

Edward Davey: The information on shared units based in BIS is provided in the following table, detailing the shared units in place in May 2010, current staffing and details of which Department meets staff costs.
	
		
			  Joint unit in place May 2010  Current staffing  Department which meets staff costs 
			 Joint Apprenticeships Unit(with DfE) 1 Deputy Director All costs met by BIS except DfE employs 1 Grade 7 and 1 HEO 
			  3 Grade 6  
			  2 Grade 7  
			  3SEO  
			  5 HEO/HEOD  
			  1 EO  
			  1 EA  
			
			
			 Trade Policy Unit (with DfID)  Cost split between BIS and DfID: 
			  4 Deputy Director 3 BIS/1 DfID 
			  4 Grade 6 1 BIS/3 DfID 
			  10 Grade 7 6BSI/4 DfID 
			  3 Economists 2 BIS/1 DfID 
			  3SEO 3 BIS 
			  15 HEO 10 BIS/5 DfID 
			  5 Faststream 3 BIS/2 DfID 
			  1 Economic Assistants 1 BIS 
			  3EO 3 BIS 
			
			 Private Office to Lord Green(with FCO) 1 Grade 7 All costs met by BIS except FCO employs 2 EOs 
			  0.25 HEO  
			  4EO  
			
			 Private Office to John Hayes MP (with DfE) 1 SEO All costs met by BIS except DfE employs 1 EO 
			  1 FS  
			  2EO  
			
			 Integrating Employment and Skills (with DWP) Now disbanded - 
			 Private Office to Ed Vaizey MP Now solely DCMS - 
		
	
	In addition BIS and the FCO work jointly in support of UK Trade and Investment, a non-ministerial Government Department. UK Trade and Investment draws people from both BIS and the FCO to achieve its objectives.

Departmental Manpower

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the  (a) job title is and  (b) responsibilities are of each member of staff seconded to his Department from the private sector; from which company each is seconded; and who is responsible for meeting the staff costs of each secondee.

Edward Davey: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Job title/Responsibilities  Company 
			 Bank Charges/banking reform RBS 
			 Global Restructuring RBS 
			 Head of Science and Innovation Analysis Imperial College London 
			 Key Event Management PERA 
			 Event Organisation Thales 
			 Procurement RCUK Shared Services Centre Ltd 
			 Procurement RCUK Shared Services Centre Ltd 
			 Government Property Unit Jones Lang LaSalle 
			 Government Property Unit Jones Lang LaSalle 
		
	
	With the exception of Imperial College London all salaries are paid for by the parent organisation, and re-imbursed by BIS.
	This data is based on information held on the department's internal IT management systems.

Departmental Mobile Phones

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many officials in his Department are provided with mobile communication devices; and how much his Department spent on mobile telephones and related data services in the last year for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: There were 741 Blackberrys in use in this Department in January 2010. The numbers varied during the year and there were 722 Blackberrys in use at 1 January 2011. A total of £221,000 was spent on UK and overseas phone charges and data services during 2010.
	There are currently 676 mobile phones issued to BIS staff. In 2010 the Department spent £138,000 on mobile phones. This includes the purchase of new handsets and line rental for existing services.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of the  (a) procurement and  (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency, (B) non-departmental public body and (C) non-Ministerial Department for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The cost of the procurement function for the Department in financial year 2010-11 was £531,907. There is no function within the Department solely dedicated to outsourcing.
	The cost of the procurement functions of BIS Agencies, NDPBs and non-ministerial Departments for financial year 2009-10 is detailed in the second Back Office Benchmarking Survey, commissioned by the Cabinet Office in April 2010. This can be found at:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/back-office-benchmark-information-200910
	The cost of outsourcing functions was not included within the Back Office Benchmarking Survey. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	I have asked chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to my hon. Friend.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 1 March 2011:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 28 February 2011, UIN 43963 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House is a Trading Fund and all of its costs, including those of the procurement and outsourcing functions, are met through the fees charged for its services. Therefore, there is no cost to the public purse.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 17 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 28 February 2011 reference 2010/4259 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement function and (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency, (B) non-departmental public body and (C) non-Ministerial Department for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available.
	The cost of the Agency's own procurement capability in the narrow sense in which that is normally understood was £45,271 for 2009/10. In addition, £251,372 was spent in 2009/10 on supplier and contract management in respect of various long tenure science and facilities management contracts. The costs are estimated proportions of staff costs and do not include overhead costs.
	The Agency does not maintain any outsourcing function.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 3 March 2011:
	Thank you for your parliamentary question asking the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement and (b) outsourcing function of the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) in the last financial year for which figures are available.
	Please be advised that the latest figures available are for the period 2009-10 which relate to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the Agency's predecessor.
	The cost of the procurement function for the LSC in 2009-10 was £511,569 (in accordance with the 10 June benchmarking return).The LSC did not have an 'outsourcing function' or any functions that have been outsourced.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated 17 March 2011:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement and (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency, (B) non-departmental public body and (C) non-Ministerial Department for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available.
	The Insolvency Service Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills at the current time has:
	(a) The procurement function for the Insolvency Service is located within its Change and Workplace Services Directorate. Salary costs for the Procurement Team in financial year 2009-2010 totalled £125,374.27, inclusive of National Insurance and superannuation costs.
	In the same period, Travel and Subsistence costs for this area of the Service totalled £2192.30.
	(b) Spend on an external contractor for a defined procurement activity totalled £101,494 in this period. The Insolvency Service does not outsource its procurement function routinely.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 31 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 28(th) February 2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office spent £288,000 in 2009/10 on procurement. This follows the Operational Efficiency Programme definition and represents around 0.5% of the Office expenditure.
	There were no outsourcing function costs in 2009/10.

Departmental Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than  (a) £10 million,  (b) £50 million and  (c) £100 million (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible was engaged upon in the latest period for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: The Department is engaged in two applicable procurement projects in the current financial year.
	The first is for Business Coaching for Growth. This is a new programme to help up to 10,000 SMEs a year to overcome the barriers they face in achieving their high growth potential. The estimated value of the contract is £173 million.
	The second is for the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS). MAS is designed to help manufacturers, primarily small and medium enterprises, to increase productivity and competitiveness. The estimated value of the contract is £40 million to £50 million.
	The Department undertook no procurement projects of  (a) £10 million,  (b) £50 million or  (c)£100 million in financial year 2010-11.
	I have asked the chief executives of the Executive agencies to respond directly to my hon. Friend.
	Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 8 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 07.03.2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Intellectual Property Office has had no procurement projects with a monetary value greater that (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million or (c) £100 million.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question regarding how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100 million (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible was engaged upon in the latest period for which figures are available.
	The Insolvency Service is an Executive Agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and is able to provide figures for the financial year 2009/10:
	a) The Insolvency Service advertised a requirement for legal services providers in the third quarter of 2009. This was awarded in the second quarter of 2010. No volume of work is guaranteed to the successful responders to this tender; however, the potential value of work under this contract has been estimated at £20 million, over the three year life of the contract.
	b) Nil
	c) Nil
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 9 March 2011:
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100 million was the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) engaged upon in the latest period for which figures are available.
	Please be advised that, for the period 2009/10, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), the predecessor to the Agency, had the following number of procurement projects:
	
		
			   Number 
			 (a) Above £10 million 2 
			 (b) Above £50 million 2 
			 (c) Above £100 million 0 
		
	
	For the period 2010/11, the Agency has the following number of procurement projects to date:
	
		
			   Number 
			 (a) Above £10 million 10 
			 (b) Above £50 million 2 
			 (c) Above £100 million 0 
		
	
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 11 March 2011:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 March 2011, UIN45545 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Companies House is not engaged in any procurement projects within these thresholds
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 9 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 7 March 2011 reference 2010/4400 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking how many procurement projects with a monetary value greater than (a) £10 million, (b) £50 million and (c) £100 million (i) his Department and (ii) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible was engaged upon in the latest period for which figures are available.
	The National Measurement Office has not engaged in any procurement projects within these monetary limits in 2009/10 or 2010/11 financial years.

Departmental Procurement

Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which procurement projects engaged upon by  (a) his Department and  (b) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available; and on what date that officer was appointed in each such case.

Edward Davey: The Department's current procurement projects involving advertisement in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) and the date of appointment of senior responsible owner for each are;
	
		
			  Project title  SRO Appointment date  OJEU advert date 
			 Business Coaching for Growth January 2011 8 April 2011 
			 Manufacturing Advisory Service October 2010 25 March 2011 
			 Green Investment Bank - Economic Advice June 2010 11 December 2010 
			 Green Investment Bank - Business Design June 2010 11 December 2010 
		
	
	I have asked chief executives of the executive agencies to respond directly to my hon. Friend. Further information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 Letter from Geoff Russell, dated 9 March 2011:
	Thank you for your question addressed to the Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking which procurement projects engaged upon by the Skills Funding Agency (the Agency) had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available and on what date they were appointed in each such case.
	Please be advised that the Agency has three senior responsible officers for procurement projects in the following areas: Learner Provision, Information Management and Goods and Services.
	They are full-time employees, who carry out this role as part of their wider role and portfolio of responsibilities and were appointed at the start of the Skills Funding Agency on 1 April 2010.
	 Letter from Stephen Speed, dated March 2011:
	The Secretary of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has asked me to reply to your question as to which procurement projects engaged upon by (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available; and on what date they were appointed in each such case.
	The Insolvency Service is an executive agency of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In the financial year 2009 -10 The Insolvency Service was engaged upon two procurement projects, with a senior responsible owner (SRO) designated for each. These SROs were appointed on 13 August 2007 and 26 August 2009 respectively.
	 Letter from Peter Mason, dated 10 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the National Measurement Office (formerly National Weights and Measures Laboratory) to your Parliamentary Question tabled on 7 March 2011 reference 2010/4402 to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, asking which procurement projects engaged upon by (a) his Department and (b) each non-departmental public body and agency for which he is responsible had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available; and on what date they were appointed in each such case.
	NMO has no current projects which have a senior responsible owner.
	 Letter from Gareth Jones, dated 16 March 2011:
	I am replying on behalf of Companies House to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7 March 2011, UIN45546 to the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	All procurement projects engaged upon by Companies House have designated senior responsible owners, and these owners are appointed on the date the project is initiated. We are currently engaged on two procurement projects: the tendering of our external Contact Centre and a Career Development System Project. The senior responsible owners were appointed on 22 June 200 and 1 November 2010 respectively.
	 Letter from John Alty, dated 31 March 2011:
	I am responding in respect of the Intellectual Property Office to your Parliamentary Question tabled 7th March 2011, to the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	Procurement projects engaged by the Intellectual Property Office which had a designated senior responsible owner in the latest period for which figures are available are as follows:
	
		
			 Multi-Storey Car Park (closed) June 2006 
			 Mainframe Renewal (closed) July 2006 
			 Register Maintenance (closed) April 2008 
			 Modernisation of Trademarks Registry IT Systems and Processes ('TM10') June 2008 
			 Peer to Patent January 2009 
			 ISO 27001 (closed) March 2009 
			 Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) (closed) February 2010 
			 Stakeholder Engagement September 2010 
			 Working Beyond Walls September 2010

Departmental Redundancy

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills for which agencies and non-departmental public bodies his Department was responsible on the date of his appointment; which such bodies have subsequently been  (a) closed and  (b) identified for closure; what provision for redundancy costs has been made in respect of each such body in (i) 2010-11, (ii) 2011-12 and (iii) 2012-13; and what estimate he has made of the likely savings to the Exchequer from closures of such bodies over the comprehensive spending review period.

Edward Davey: On the date of his appointment, the Secretary of State was responsible for:
	 Executive agencies :
	Companies House; the Insolvency Service; the Intellectual Property Office; the National Measurement Office; the Skills Funding Agency.
	 Non-departmental public bodies ( NDP B s )
	 Executive NDPBs :
	The Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS); the British Hallmarking Council; Capital for Enterprise; the Competition Commission; the Competition Service; the Construction Industry Training Board; Consumer Focus; the Design Council; the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board; the Film Industry Training Board; the Hearing Aid Council; the Higher Education Funding Council for England; the Local Better Regulation Office; the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts; the Office for Fair Access; SITPRO Ltd; the Student Loans Company; the Technology Strategy Board; the UK Atomic Energy Authority; the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
	Nine regional development agencies: Advantage West Midlands; East Midlands Development Agency; East of England Development Agency; London Development Agency; North West Development Agency; One North East; South East England Development Agency; South West of England Regional Development Agency; Yorkshire Forward.
	Seven research councils: the Arts and Humanities Research Council; the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council; the Economic and Social Research Council; the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; the Medical Research Council; the Natural Environment Research Council; the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
	 Advisory NDPBs :
	The Council for Science and Technology; the Industrial Development Advisory Board; the Low Pay Commission; the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy; the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board; the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Board.
	 Tribunal NDPBs :
	The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal; the Central Arbitration Committee; the Competition Appeal Tribunal; the Copyright Tribunal; the Insolvency Practitioners Tribunal; the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property.
	The following bodies have subsequently been closed:
	The Hearing Aid Council; SITPRO Ltd; the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy; the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board; the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body.
	In addition the Government have announced proposals, subject as necessary to further analysis, legislation and consultation, to close:
	The Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal; the Competition Service; Consumer Focus; the regional development agencies.
	 Redundancy costs
	We are still in the process of considering provision for and treatment of redundancy costs for these bodies in each of 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
	 Savings
	The following table sets out our best current estimates of the likely cumulative net administrative savings to the Exchequer from closures of BIS bodies over the spending review period. The savings are dependent upon factors such as the individual timetables for implementation-several of the proposed closures require the Public Bodies Bill and subsequent secondary legislation.
	
		
			  Public body  Estimated cumulative net administrative savings over the spending review period 
			 Closure of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Advisory Body £0.04 million 
			 Closure of the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board No savings to the Exchequer 
			 Closure of the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property Policy No savings to the Exchequer 
			 Closure of SITPRO Ltd £1.9 million 
			 Closure of the regional development agencies £727.7 million 
			 Closure of the Competition Service Potential savings not yet quantified 
			 Closure of the Local Better Regulation Office £0.56 million 
			 Closure of the Hearing Aid Council No savings to the Exchequer 
			 Closure of Consumer Focus Potential savings not yet quantified 
			 Closure of the Aircraft and Shipbuilding Industries Arbitration Tribunal No savings to the Exchequer

Departmental Regulation

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills which regulations sponsored by his Department 
	(1)  due to be commenced in the next three years are derived from legislation already enacted;
	(2)  implementing EU obligations due to be commenced in the next three years are derived from EU legislation already enacted.

Mark Prisk: I aim to implement policy using alternatives to regulation wherever possible. Where regulations are needed, the current domestic plans are published twice a year in a Statement of New Regulation, most recently on 7 April 2011. It is not practical to project beyond this with an acceptable level of certainty to be helpful to business, and we have not sought to do so. For example, all future plans are subject to the results of consultations and to the outcome of the Red Tape Challenge.

Departmental Reorganisation

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what machinery of government changes relating to his Department there have been since 12 May 2010.

Edward Davey: I refer the right hon. Member to the two written ministerial statements given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 15 June 2010,  Official Reports, column 48WS and 18 January 2011,  Official Reports, column 36WS.

Departmental Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the staff vacancy rate in his Department was in 2010-11; and what vacancy rate has been assumed in his Department's budget for 2011-12.

Edward Davey: During 2010-11 the staff vacancy rate in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has been negligible. Frictional vacancies have been running at the rate of around 0.75%.
	For 2011-12 the Department is going through an organisational change process and will lose a number of posts. Therefore although there will be a small number of frictional vacancies we do not anticipate structural vacancies.

Employment Agencies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department spent on  (a) recruitment agency fees,  (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and  (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available.

Edward Davey: During 2010/11, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills spent:  (a) £81,842 on recruitment agency fees (this figure excludes agency fees for the supply of temporary staff. These are included in the overall fee paid to agencies and therefore not broken down);  (b) £60,157 on outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and  (c) £1,871,865 on staff training for the period April to December 2010 (latest available figures).

Employment Tribunals Service

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what research his Department  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on (i) enforcement of existing rules by tribunals, (ii) the consistency of enforcement of rules between tribunals, (iii) case management training of chairs of tribunals in (A) the Tribunals Service and (B) other parts of the judiciary, (C) costs incurred by (1) applicant and (2) respondent parties in employment tribunals, (3) the cause of any delays in the employment tribunal system and (4) the effects of removing the cap on unfair dismissal claims prior to issuing its public consultation on resolving workplace disputes.

Edward Davey: The Government published an impact assessment alongside the "Resolving Workplace Disputes" consultation on 27 January. This set out the major evidence underpinning the proposals, and is available at:
	www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/r/11-512-resolving-workplace-disputes-impact-assessment.pdf
	On the specific areas, application of the Employment Tribunal (ET) Rules of Procedure is a matter of judicial discretion, and will vary depending on the particulars of each case. In 2009 the Department for Ministry of Justice (MoJ) jointly invited the former Employment Tribunal System Steering Board to consider whether there were issues of inconsistent application of practice and procedure across the system; we have published their report alongside the "Resolving Workplace Disputes" consultation, and have included some of the recommendations made within the package of proposals we are consulting on. We have received comments from various stakeholders related to consistency, considered them in the context of developing our consultation proposals and will be evaluating those further as part of the continuing process.
	This Department has not commissioned any research in relation to case management training of ET Chairs. My officials hold regular discussions with the judiciary, facilitated through HM Court Service and the Tribunal Service /MoJ, as well as speaking to stakeholders more widely, on issues such as this.
	As part of the impact assessment supporting the "Resolving Workplace Disputes" consultation we estimated the average (median) unit costs to employers and claimants of employment tribunal hearings at £3,800 and £1,500 respectively. The estimates were based on information from the Survey of Employment Tribunal Applicants commissioned by this Department in 2008:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/10-756-findings-from-seta-2008
	and include time spent by employees on the case and costs of legal representation.
	We have not proposed removing the cap on unfair dismissal claims in the consultation.

English Language: Education

Paul Blomfield: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Ladywood of 24 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1299-300W, on education: English language, on what date he plans to publish the assessment of the effects of changes on English for Speakers of Other Languages learners.

John Hayes: The equality impact assessment published alongside 'Skills for Sustainable Growth' (November 2010) found that, at the aggregate level, there are unlikely to be disproportionate impacts on protected groups. A separate assessment of how the changes may affect English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) learners is currently being carried out by this Department. There is no specific date currently planned for publication of the assessment. I expect to be able to publish the assessment in due course.

English Language: Education

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has provided for English for Speakers of Other Languages courses in Ealing, Southall constituency in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many individuals living in Ealing, Southall constituency have received financial support from Government to complete an English for Speakers of Other Languages course in each of the last five years;
	(3)  how many individuals under the age of 26 years living in Ealing, Southall constituency enrolled on an English for Speakers of Other Languages course in each of the last five years;
	(4)  how many women living in Ealing, Southall constituency enrolled on an English for Speakers of Other Languages course in each of the last five years
	(5)  how many individuals living in Ealing, Southall constituency were enrolled on an English for Speakers of Other Languages course in each of the last five years.

John Hayes: The following table shows the number of Government-funded learners in Ealing Southall constituency participating on an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) course by age and gender from 2005/06, the earliest year for which we have comparable data, to 2009/10, the latest year for which full-year data are available.
	
		
			  The number of learners participating on ESOL courses in Ealing Southall constituency by age and gender, 2005/06 to 2009/10 
			   Age  Female  Male  Total ESOL participation 
			 2005/06 Under 26 280 190 470 
			  26+ 710 310 1,020 
			  Total 980 500 1,490 
			  
			 2006/07 Under 26 270 230 490 
			  26+ 920 420 1,340 
			  Total 1,190 640 1,830 
			  
			 2007/08 Under 26 280 210 490 
			  26+ 950 390 1,340 
			  Total 1,240 590 1,830 
			  
			 2008/09 Under 26 230 140 370 
			  26+ 1,060 360 1,410 
			  Total 1,280 500 1,780 
			  
			 2009/10 Under 26 190 140 320 
			  26+ 1,030 370 1,400 
			  Total 1,220 510 1,730 
			  Notes: 1. These data cover participation in Learner Responsive, Apprenticeships, Train to Gain, Adult Safeguarded Learning and University for Industry provision. Further Education/Learner Responsive provision includes General Further Education Colleges including Tertiary, Sixth Form Colleges - Agricultural and Horticultural Colleges and Art and Design Colleges, Specialist Colleges and External Institutions. 2. Volumes are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Figures for 2008/09 onwards are not directly comparable to earlier years as the introduction of demand-led funding has changed how data are collected and how funded learners are defined. More information on demand-led funding is available at: http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/datadictionary/businessdefinitions/Demand+Led+Funding.htm 4. Age is based on age at the start of the academic year. 5. Geography is based on learners' home postcode.  Source: Individualised Learner Record 
		
	
	Information on participation on ESOL courses is published in a quarterly statistical first release (SFR). The latest SFR was published on 31 March:
	http://www.thedataservice.org.uk/statistics/statisticalfirstrelease/sfr_current
	Information on historical ESOL funding at the local geography level is not available. However, the Skills Funding Agency publish information on adult (19 years+) allocations made to individual colleges, providers and employers for each academic year available at the following link:
	http://skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk/providers/programmes/

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what consideration he gave to seeking the inclusion of measures to reform the Export Credits Guarantee Department in the Government's Carbon Plan.

Mark Prisk: This Department's contribution to the Government Carbon Plan mainly focused on the creation of the Green Investment Bank and the importance of innovation in developing a low carbon economy and did not include ECGD reforms.

Further Education: Finance

Julie Elliott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills from which sources he expects further education colleges to obtain funding following the reduction in entitlement funding.

John Hayes: We are rebalancing investment from public spending towards greater contributions from individuals and employers who benefit most and can afford to pay. Further education colleges and training organisations will seek income from these sources. Grant funding for advanced and higher level qualifications for new learners aged 24 and over will be removed and from 2013/14 academic year, fee loans, repayable on an income contingent basis will provide upfront support to enable people to continue to undertake training at these levels.
	While the overall budget available for skills will reduce to £3.3 billion over this spending review period, the settlement protected investment in teaching and learning by focusing the reductions on areas which do not directly support participation.
	In the 2011-12 year we plan to invest £3.7 billion through the Skills Funding Agency in FE and Skills for post-19 learners. This supports the capacity for over 3 million adult training places in the 2011/12 academic year.
	Over the spending review period we will:
	Increase investment in Adult (19+) Apprenticeships;
	Protect the £210 million per year investment in adult and community learning;
	Fully fund basic literacy and numeracy provision and first full level 2 and first full level 3 qualifications for young adults; and
	As part of the wider Government agenda to support people into employment, we will also fully fund accredited training for unemployed people in receipt of active benefits helping them to obtain sustainable work in which they can progress.

Further Education: Learning Disability

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that further education institutions provide places for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: Skills training for people with learning disabilities is a priority for the Government. The Young People's Learning Agency is responsible for funding all learners aged 19-24 who are in receipt of high level and exceptional level Additional Learning Support (ALS) amounts over £5,500 either with or without a Section 140 or 139a Learning Difficulty Assessment. The Skills Funding Agency is responsible for funding all learners aged 19+ who are in receipt of low level ALS amounts up to and including £5,500 either with or without a Section 140 or 139a Learning Difficulty Assessment.
	We expect further education colleges and other training providers to recognise the needs of this group of learners within their local communities when planning delivery and to develop innovative ways of responding to their needs, working with a wide range of partners in order to meet them.

Higher Education: Finance

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to review the provision of non-prescribed higher education funded via the Skills Funding Agency; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: As part of the forthcoming Higher Education White Paper and subsequent consultation, we will consider the distinctions between 'prescribed' and 'non- prescribed' higher education in order to ensure that the student funding scheme offers a clear path for students to progress from further to higher education.

Horticulture

Nicholas Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills whether he plans to offer support to small and medium-sized enterprise to promote skills in the horticultural sector.

John Hayes: Lantra is the Sector Skills Council for the land-based and environmental industries. They are committed to helping the sector to access the training, qualifications, skills and knowledge they need. Lantra actively promotes the sector as a positive career choice to young people and adults, making sure that they are equipped with the right skills for careers in the sector while encouraging people to value and take up skills and development opportunities.

Intellectual Property and Growth Review

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills to which Minister in his Department the Hargreaves Review on Intellectual Property and Copyright will report.

Edward Davey: The Hargreaves' Independent Review of Intellectual Property and Growth will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Post Offices

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 15 February 2011,  Official Report, column 742W, on the Post Office: modernisation, when he anticipates Post Office Ltd's implementation plans for modernisation of the network will be complete.

Edward Davey: The Post Office Ltd. will be developing implementation plans throughout this financial year, informed by the piloting of new network models, to allow 4,000 Main Post Offices and 2,000 Post Office Locals to be introduced by the end of March 2015.

Research: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has provided for translational research partnerships since their inception.

David Willetts: This Department allocated £595,000 of the Strategic Investment Fund, for distribution by the Technology Strategy Board (TSB), to establish the co-ordination function for the Therapeutic Capability Clusters (TCC's) programme. The budget ran from July 2010 - March 2011 over which period a total of £225,000 was provided (subject to a final financial audit).
	The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Office for Clinical Research Infrastructure (NOCRI) will co-ordinate the establishment of translational research partnerships, building on the existing TCC's. The NIHR Biomedical Research Centres and Units, to be designated in summer 2011 and in which the NIHR will invest £775 million, will form the basis of these partnerships.

Research: Trade Competitiveness

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent assessment his Department has made of the competitiveness of the UK as a destination for international private sector research and development investment.

David Willetts: This Department does not collect data on the competitiveness of the UK as a destination for private sector research and development investment.
	A proxy for this is provided by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in their Main Science and Technology Indicators Database which shows that in 2008 23.5% of Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD) was financed from abroad, the highest percentage amongst OECD countries who provide comparable data. Whilst this is a useful indicator as to the success of the UK's business sector in attracting overseas financing, this data is limited as it does not capture inflows of foreign private sector research and development funds which go to non business institutions such as universities.

Retirement: Age

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment he has made of the effect on the number of age discrimination cases dealt with by employment tribunals of the abolition of the default retirement age.

Edward Davey: The Government's central estimate is that there will be an increase of around 260 employment tribunal (ET) cases due to the abolition of the default retirement age. This is a net change based on an estimated saving of 340 ET cases that can no longer be brought against employers on procedural grounds and an estimated extra 600 age discrimination claims as a direct result of the abolition of the default retirement age.
	Further information can be found in the final impact assessment at:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/biscore/employment-matters/docs/p/11-634-phasing-out-default-retirement-age-impact-assessment.pdf

Science: Finance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what his policy is on the Lisbon goal of achieving science funding of 3% of gross domestic product.

David Willetts: The target of 3% of EU GDP to be spent on Research and Development (R&D) in the Lisbon Strategy, which ran from 2000 to 2010, is also a target under the Europe 2020 Strategy published in March 2010. At the European Council meeting in June 2010 the UK and other EU member states confirmed the five Europe 2020 Strategy targets, which included the 3% R&D target. It was also agreed that member states would implement the policy priorities at national level according to national decision making procedures.
	Consistent with our Public Sector Transparency Framework, the Government does not intend to adopt national targets for the proportion of GDP spent on R&D nor for any of the other Europe 2020 targets. However, the Government acknowledges that R&D and innovation are key drivers of economic growth, as demonstrated in the "Plan for Growth", which we published alongside the 2011 Budget.

Service Agreements

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what shared service agreements his Department has with other Government Departments.

Edward Davey: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) currently has shared service agreements for several corporate services with the Department of Energy and Climate Change. Some research and analysis, estates and ICT services are shared with the Department for Education. BIS shares a number of specific ICT systems and applications with other Government Departments and shares a building with the Department for Work and Pensions.

Stem Cells: Research

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department has provided to the cell therapy industry in each of the last five years.

David Willetts: The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills indirectly funds the development of cell therapies by industry through its sponsorship of the Technology Strategy Board. This is a wide-ranging cross disciplinary field spanning areas such as stem cells, tissue engineering, biomaterials, cell-based gene therapy, immunomodulation cell therapies, cell cancer vaccines and other related fields.
	While some of the research under each of these themes can be classified as support for the cell therapy industry, it would not be accurate to, for example, apportion all stem cell research as falling under this heading. As information on "cell therapy" support is not held centrally it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Data on Technology Strategy Board support for the specific area of stem cells are as follows:
	2005-06: £893,000
	2006-07: £2.5 million
	2007-08: £2.9 million
	2008-09: £1.5 million
	2009-10: £2.2 million.
	The Technology Strategy Board also coordinates public sector funding for the Public Private Partnership, Stem Cells for Safer Medicine.
	The Technology Strategy Board recently announced that a Technology and Innovation Centre will be established in the area of cell therapy. This will build on over £200 million in public investment in basic and translational stem cell science since 2003, and the launch of the Technology Strategy Board/Research Council £21.5 million Regenerative Medicine programme in 2009, to support the development and commercialisation of relevant technologies.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many key facts leaflets for full-time students communicating the changes to student finance in 2012-13 will be produced; if he will estimate the cost to the public purse of producing such leaflets; and what plans he has for their distribution.

David Willetts: The key facts leaflet for full-time students has been produced as an e-flyer, intended to be downloaded from suitable websites. It has been distributed at no cost, via email, to a range of organisations and websites.
	A total of 245 copies have been printed internally for use in correspondence, including mailing to vice chancellors and the parliamentary Library. The cost of this printing cannot be separately identified as it is part of the total departmental printing budget.
	The cost to the public purse for typesetting the document was £1,236.00 (excluding VAT of £247.20).

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what progress he has made on producing a key facts flyer for part-time students communicating the changes to student finance.

David Willetts: We expect to make available an e-flyer on key facts for part-time students soon after the May elections, when there is greater clarity about the legislative changes needed to limit the fees which can be charged for part-time courses.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what radio stations his Department plans to use to communicate changes to student finance arrangements to prospective students.

David Willetts: Radio advertising will be part of our student finance communications campaign. The selection of radio stations across England, which is yet to be finalised, will be made using expert advice and industry radio listening research from the Central Office of Information (COI) and its relevant agencies to ensure the best reach for our target audiences.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what budget he has allocated to communicating changes to student finance arrangements for 2012-13.

David Willetts: The Department considers it essential to ensure that prospective students and their families know about the full package of support available, to support access to higher education. This Department is working with the Central Office of Information to develop an effective and proportionate information campaign.
	We have appointed an advertising agency to support this campaign and expect their costs to be in the region of £150,000, including their charges for production of press and online advertisements. The budget for chosen media is yet to be determined.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many unique visits the www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance website received between 18 February 2010 and 16 March 2010.

David Willetts: There were 952,555 visits to the student finance home page http://www.direct.gov.uk/studentfinance between 18 February 2010 and 16 March 2010.

Students: Finance

David Lammy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many unique visits the www.bis.gov.uk/studentfinance website received between 1 February 2011 and 17 March 2011.

David Willetts: Between 1 February 2011 and 17 March 2011, the http://bis.gov.uk/studentfinance pages received 53,558 visits.

Third Sector

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how much his Department provided to each charity it funds in each of the last five years; and how much he has allocated for funding to each such charity in each of the next five years.

Edward Davey: Officials are currently looking at the best way for departments to regularly report publicly on spending, both in terms of baseline levels and how these levels change through the spending period.
	It is therefore not currently possible to provide this information without the Department incurring disproportionate costs.
	Details of all new central Government contracts are now available online at:
	http://www.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk

EDUCATION

Children: Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 23 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 1175-7W, on children: well-being, what recent progress has been made on the production of a child poverty strategy; and what steps he plans to take to eradicate child poverty by 2020.

Tim Loughton: The Government published their child poverty strategy, "A New Approach to Child Poverty: Tackling the Causes of Disadvantage and Transforming Families' Lives" on April 5.(1) The strategy provides a framework for ending child poverty by 2020, and delivers a comprehensive three year plan to lay the foundations for a new and more effective approach.
	The strategy contains detailed timelines showing when the measures included in the strategy will take effect.
	(1) http://www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload /CM-8061.pdf

Curriculum: Humanities

Michael Fallon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what definition his Department uses of a humanities subject.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 26 April 2011
	Section 85 of Education Act 2002 (amended by SI 2003 (No2946)) establishes humanities as one of the four National Curriculum entitlement areas for 14 to 16 year olds (key stage 4). It defines humanities as comprising history and geography.

Departmental Accounting

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether any Ministerial directions have been issued to the accounting officer of his Department since his appointment.

Tim Loughton: No ministerial directions have been issued to the Department's accounting officer since the Secretary of State's appointment in May 2010.

Education: Assessments

Damian Hinds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the average number of  (a) A,  (b) AS and  (c) A2 level subject entries per student was in (i) year 12 and (ii) year 13 in maintained schools and sixth form colleges in academic year (A) 1996-97 and (B) 2009-10.

Nick Gibb: In 1997, the average number of A Levels sat per pupil aged 17 at the start of the academic year in maintained schools and sixth form colleges was 3.32. In 2010, the average number of A Levels sat per pupil at the end of key stage 5 in maintained schools and sixth form colleges was 1.95.
	The cohort of pupils at the end of key stage 5 is composed of 16 to 18 year olds who were entered for level 3 qualifications at least equivalent in size to one GCE/Applied GCE A Level and this includes both early and late takers.
	AS results are not collected in year 12 and only the results that have been reported to the exam board (or "cashed in") are cumulatively counted in year 13. Advanced subsidiary (AS) courses were introduced as part of the 2000 Curriculum. Prior to that, pupils could take an advanced supplementary (AS). The difference in AS qualification types prevents comparison between 1997 and 2010 results.
	Data for A2 level subject entries are not readily available and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	 Source:
	The School Performance Tables.

Free School Meals

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many children received free school meals in each ward in the Gateshead borough council area in the last year for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: Information about the number of school pupils resident in each ward in Gateshead who are eligible for free school meals is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number and percentage of resident pupils( 1,)( )( 2)  eligible for free school meals( 3)  in each ward( 4)  in Gateshead in January 2010 
			   Number of resident pupils( 1)( , )( 2)  eligible for free school meals( 3)  Percentage of resident pupils( 1, 2)  eligible for free school meals( 3) 
			 Gateshead 5,180 21.7 
			 Bede 310 39.6 
			 Bensham 220 38.0 
			 Birtley 180 17.2 
			 Blaydon 310 26.2 
			 Chopwell and Rowlands Gill 250 20.9 
			 Chowdene 150 13.1 
			 Crawcrook and Greenside 120 10.4 
			 Deckham 390 36.6 
			 Dunston 230 18.6 
			 Felling 390 40.0 
			 High Fell 380 31.8 
			 Lamesley 270 24.9 
			 Leam 460 31.5 
			 Low Fell 50 5.0 
			 Pelaw and Heworth 230 22.6 
			 Ryton 130 11.8 
			 Saltwell 250 32.2 
			 Teams 280 23.7 
			 Whickham North 170 13.4 
			 Whickham South 70 5.7 
			 Winlaton 120 13.4 
			 Wrekendyke 250 17.6 
			 (1) Includes full-time and part-time pupils, including boarders, who are sole or dual registrations, attending maintained nursery, primary, middle deemed primary, secondary and middle deemed secondary schools, City Technology Colleges, Academies and all Special Schools. (2) Figures rounded to the nearest 10, totals may not sum due to rounding. (3) Pupils eligible for free school meals who have full-time attendance and are aged 15 or under, or pupils who have part-time attendance and are aged between five and 15. (4) Census Area Statistic (CAS) Wards.  Source: School Census (Final)

Free Schools

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate his Department has made of the average amount of funding his Department will contribute to the establishment of a free school in 2010-11; and whether he has made provision for additional funding to be allocated to free schools in the event that his Department's annual budget for contributing to establishing such schools is exhausted before the end of a year.

Nick Gibb: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 30 March 2011,  Official Report, column 419W.

Grammar Schools: Human Rights

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department has made available to selective grammar schools on their obligations under the Human Rights Act 1998 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Tim Loughton: The Department has not sent any information about the Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA) or the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) specifically to selective grammar schools.

Marriage Guidance

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the House of Lords debate of 10 February 2011,  Official Report, House of Lords, column 390, on marriage, what steps he is taking to reduce the stigma against seeking relationship advice; when he intends to review relationships education in schools; and what plans he has for training Sure Start health visitors in  (a) relationship support and  (b) pointing couples to relationship support.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education is grant funding 12 Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) organisations to deliver relationship support services. Some of these services will include measures to reduce the stigma against seeking relationship advice, for example Relate plan to carry out a national awareness raising campaign on the benefits of relationship support, using agony aunts and social media.
	The Schools White Paper, The Importance of Teaching, announced our intention to conduct an internal review of personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education. This includes Sex and Relationships Education (SRE). We will announce details of the review shortly.
	Five of the organisations funded by the VCS Grant scheme are planning to deliver training to staff in Sure Start Children's Centres on relationship support and pointing couples to relationship support. This could include Sure Start health visitors.

Marriage Guidance: Grants

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  which voluntary and community sector awards have been provided under the fund for relationships support;
	(2)  which awards and how much of the funding under the voluntary and community sector grants scheme will be provided for  (a) preventative couple relationships support,  (b) relationship counselling for couples in difficulty and  (c) work with families which have already experienced break-up;
	(3)  whether he plans to monitor the amount of couple relationship support funding provided by his Department which is spent on supporting  (a) married couples,  (b) cohabiting couples,  (c) civil partners and  (d) parents;
	(4)  what provision for black and minority ethnic couples he plans to make from the relationships support grant;
	(5)  what mechanism he plans to put in place to assess the effectiveness of couple relationship support funded by grants from his Department.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 26 April 2011
	 : £7.5 million has been made available from the Department for Education's Voluntary and Community Sector (VCS) Grants scheme to support couple relationships in 2011-12. The following organisations have been awarded funding (subject to grant negotiations):
	Asian Family Counselling Service
	Care for the Family
	Centre for Separated Families
	Contact a Family
	Families Need Fathers
	Gingerbread
	Marriage Care
	National Association of Child Contact Centres
	One Plus One
	PACE (Project for Advocacy, Counselling and Education)
	Relate
	Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships
	The majority of the organisations deliver a mix of preventative couple relationship support, relationship counselling for couples in difficulty and work with families which have already experienced break-up.
	The Department invited proposals from the voluntary sector to encourage couples to take up preventative support to develop and sustain their relationship and, where relationship breakdown does occur, to put in place effective parenting arrangements so that any negative impacts for children are minimised. The areas of work for which proposals were invited included: cultural change to encourage families to seek help earlier; training of key practitioners, particularly in Sure Start Children's Centres, to recognise and respond appropriately to relationship distress in order to minimise any negative impacts for children; evaluation of effective practice to build the evidence-base of effective interventions; and innovative approaches to relationship support-including provision of relationship support which meets the needs of those lower-income families who might struggle to pay and who are at most risk from breakdown.
	Service delivery will be monitored through key performance indicators. In addition the Department plans to commission evaluation which will consider the effectiveness of relationship support interventions.
	All of the services funded by the relationships support grant are expected to make their provision accessible to black and minority ethnic couples. In addition the Asian Family Counselling Service (AFCS) has been funded to provide counselling and support to members of the Asian community whose relationships are under stress and who find it hard to access mainstream services.

Schools: Nurses

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on increasing  (a) investment in and  (b) empowerment of school nurses.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 26 April 2011
	The Secretary of State for Education and his ministerial team have ongoing discussions with colleagues at the Department of Health about areas of common interest school nurses are employed by the national health service and currently provide a number of services. These include carrying out developmental screening, undertaking health interviews, administering immunisation programmes, and providing health and sex education within schools.
	Schools have long valued the contribution school nurses make to the health, well being, and achievement of the children and young people in their care. The school nursing service can have a pivotal role in both providing and arranging specific training for schools in the management of long-term conditions, for example asthma and diabetes.
	It is currently for primary care trusts (PCTs) and their partners to determine, on the basis of a local health needs assessment, how many school nurses there should be and how they should be deployed. The Government wants to increase local flexibility, and therefore has no plans to change these-arrangements.

Sure Start Programme: Closures

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the number of Sure Start children's centres at risk of closure in 2011.

Tim Loughton: Sure Start children's centres are at the heart of the Government's vision for supporting families with young children and intervening early to prevent problems from becoming crises. The Government have ensured there is enough money in the system to maintain a network of Sure Start children's centres.
	The Department for Education collects data on the number of Sure Start children's centres in each local authority area in England, but does not collect data on local authority plans for changes to children's centres. It is for local authorities, in consultation with local communities, to determine the most effective way of delivering future services to meet local need. Local authorities continue to have duties under the Childcare Act 2006 to ensure sufficient provision of children's centres, so far as is reasonably practicable, and to consult before opening, closing or significantly changing children's centres.

Teenage Pregnancy

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 17 March 2011,  Official Report, columns 614-5W, on teenage pregnancy: personal income, which wards his Department has classified as teenage pregnancy hotspots.

Tim Loughton: In her response to the hon. Member's previous question, the Minister for Children and Families said that wards with high rates of teenage pregnancies were found in virtually every local authority in England. We do not classify wards by their rate, but would regard a high rate ward as being one of the 20% of wards with the highest rates. In 2006-08 this means wards with a rate of at least 53.1 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17.
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces statistics on conceptions, which are estimates based on the number of live births, stillbirths and legal abortions, but not including miscarriages and illegal abortions. Ward under-18 conceptions data are not publicly available, to protect the privacy of individuals. However, under a Service Level Agreement (SLA) between ONS and my Department, local authorities in England can request ward level under-18 conception figures, aggregated over three years, from ONS to enable them to target their early intervention services to prevent teenage pregnancies in the areas with the highest rates. This information enables local areas to plan their approaches to reducing teenage pregnancies which they are best placed to determine.
	The list names all those wards in England where in 2006-08:
	the ward was one of the 20% of wards with the highest rates (a rate of at least 53.1 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17);
	and in addition
	the rate was statistically significantly higher than the England average (41.0 conceptions per 1,000 women aged 15-17). This is to exclude wards where the rate is based on a very small number of conceptions where the rate may change considerably from year to year.
	Wards defined as being "high rate" are found in nearly all top-tier local authorities (138 out of 152).
	I will place a copy in the House Libraries.
	As some wards have very small populations of women in the 15-17 age group, their under 18 conception rates can fluctuate by chance from year to year and may not indicate a consistently high incidence of teenage pregnancy. For this reason, ward rates are aggregated over three years. Ward population estimates, which are used in the calculation of ward-level conception statistics, are also experimental statistics and as such have not yet been assessed against the rigorous quality standards normally applying to National Statistics. The estimates are made available to users as the best population estimates for these small geographical areas and to allow user feedback on the quality of the statistics.
	Further information about conception statistics produced by ONS can be found on their website at:
	http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/product.asp?vlnk=15055

Voluntary Organisations: Grants

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which organisations received funding though the voluntary and community sector grants scheme; how much funding each organisation requested in its expression of interest; how much funding each organisation requested in its bid document; and how much funding each organisation was awarded.

Tim Loughton: holding answer 26 April 2011
	 The voluntary and community sector plays, and will continue to play, a significant role in delivering and improving services for children, young people and families. Through the grants programme announced on 25 February DFE will invest around £120 million over the next two years to help support the delivery of key national priorities for children, young people and families. This grant is just one of a range of funding streams from DFE to the voluntary sector and represents a significant investment in a tough financial climate.
	Following an open competition, 118 bidders were successful with their applications and grants have been awarded from 1 April 2011.
	As expected, the bidding process was highly competitive and the total amounts of funding bid for by organisations significantly exceeded the level of funding available. We therefore had to make tough decisions in order to live within the available funding and this inevitably led to a need to scale back some of the successful bids to ensure the best use of public funding. In a very small number of cases, we awarded more funding to organisations than they requested in their bid document in order to secure additional high quality provision to meet national priorities. We also undertook an equality impact assessment to ensure that our funding decisions did not impact disproportionately on children, young people and families in respect of gender, ethnicity and special educational needs and disabilities.
	Information on how much funding was bid for by these organisations at each stage of competition and the amount of indicative awards is provided in the following table. Please note that final negotiations are still taking place and indicative amounts may vary slightly from the final amount awarded.
	
		
			  VCS grant awards 2011-12 and 2012-13 
			  £ 
			   Funding requested via EOI (stage 1)  Funding requested via bid (stage 2)  Amount awarded 
			  Organisation name/consortium lead  2011-12  2012-13  2011-12  2012-13  2011-12  2012-13 
			 4Children 390,000 350,000 390,000 350,000 350,000 350,000 
			 4Children 390,000 300,000 390,000 300,000 390,000 300,000 
			 4Children (Foundations for the Future) 850,000 800,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 
			 A National Voice 257,500 265,225 100,000 100,000 100,000 100,000 
			 ACE Centre North 129,500 129,000 135,251 115,133 135,251 115,133 
			 Action for Advocacy 147,747 149,918 73,900 71,315 50,000 50,000 
			 Action for Children 960,000 1,115,000 735,000 670,000 735,000 670,000 
			 Action for Prisoners' Families (APF) 185,200 £165,800 178,937 197,645 100,000 100,000 
			 Addaction 274,846 258,500 274,000 214,852 274,000 214,000 
			 Addaction 428,424 431,963 413,264 282,592 409,573 281,674 
			 Adfam 52,145 52,145 92,500 92,500 92,500 92,500 
			 Alcohol Concern 217,000 217,000 117,000 264,000 206,000 191,000 
			 Anna Freud Centre 236,269 242,062 381,417 434,410 381,417 434,410 
			 Asian Family Counselling Service 125,000 120,000 150,000 149,800 150,000 149,800 
			 Autism Education Trust (AET) 719,000 587,000 652,469 565,019 652,469 555,441 
			 Barnardo's 550,000 500,000 1,119,663 1,142,221 1,119,663 1,142,221 
			 Barnardo's 740,000 360,000 291,995 291,995 290,000 290,000 
			 Barnardo's 531,880 774,760 518,316 879,360 518,316 879,360 
			 Bolton Lads and Girls Club 219,120 225,418 355,041 294,278 355,041 294,278 
			 British Association for Adoption and Fostering 295,000 295,000 299,804 299,804 299,000 299,000 
			 Brook 130,488 80,852 139,631 100,181 139,631 100,181 
			 Capital SHS (School-Home Support) 1,000,000 1,000,000 739,729 745,721 500,000 500,000 
			 Care for the Family (CFF) 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 600,000 300,000 200,000 
			 Careers South West Ltd (Positive Transitions) 13,500,000 10,800,000 3,572,769 2,851,804 1,170,283 1,229,717 
			 Catch22 2,500,000 1,750,000 1,794,626 1,454,121 1,604,972 1,569,121 
			 Catch22 550,000 425,000 355,672 335,730 350,000 330,000 
			 Centre for Separated Families 240,000 180,000 240,000 180,000 240,000 180,000 
			 Challenging Behaviour Foundation (CBF) 130,300 148,500 192,655 222,136 192,655 222,136 
			 Child & Family Training Limited (C&FT) 148,523 49,760 145,483 153,437 145,483 153,437 
			 Children and Families Across Borders (CFAB) 113,000 116,320 113,000 116,320 113,000 116,320 
			 Children England (Kindle Plus Consortium) 985,000 886,500 1,250,964 1,209,075 1,250,964 1,209,075 
			 Children Our Ultimate Investment 244,000 244,000 254,000 234,000 254,000 234,001 
			 Children's Legal Centre 175,265 154,291 176,265 154,291 176,265 154,291 
			 Children's Society 200,000 300,000 212,808 232,839 243,726 267,535 
			 Clubs for Young People 625,000 450,000 1,000,000 750,000 650,000 480,000 
			 Communication Trust (I CAN) 1,070,000 800,000 1,249,609 852,865 1,000,000 750,000 
			 Contact a Family 310,000 285,000 216,525 203,298 216,525 203,298 
			 Contact a Family 429,160 446,539 438,649 419,780 438,649 419,780 
			 ContinYou 450,000 340,000 478,000 386,000 400,000 386,000 
			 Council for Disabled Children (CDC) 400,000 325,000 749,642 695,650 749,642 695,650 
			 CSV 98,179 98,869 158,672 132,507 158,672 132,507 
			 CSV 287,000 296,000 402,423 385,423 402,423 375,423 
			 Daycare Trust 389,076 278,863 477,566 341,197 300,000 300,000 
			 Diana Award 198,922 132,614 198,922 132,614 198,922 132,614 
			 Dyslexia Action 750,000 1,000,000 1,000,000 750,000 750,000 600,000 
			 Dyslexia-SpLD Trust 750,000 740,000 693,456 630,579 693,456 630,579 
			 Early Education (The British Assc. for Early Childhood Education) 130,000 102,000 131,374 108,040 131,374 108,040 
			 Endeavour 230,000 230,000 312,868 230,691 312,868 310,679 
			 Families Need Fathers 200,000 206,000 303,875 307,541 261,415 263,807 
			 Family and Parenting Institute 233,160 134,588 329,088 181,616 329,088 181,616 
			 Family Delivery Team (Interface Assc. UK) 1,200,000 800,000 403,218 324,114 960,097 933,375 
			 Family Rights Group 97,920 95,430 97,400 99,200 93,000 93,000 
			 Fatherhood Institute 230,000 82,800 302,310 164,665 302,310 164,665 
			 Fatherhood Institute 277,600 144,200 310,890 166,476 310,890 166,476 
			 Fostering Network 175,000 175,000 78,988 79,988 78,000 79,000 
			 Foyer Federation 450,000 250,000 544,362 353,519 500,000 353,519 
			 Gingerbread 95,000 50,000 282,638 263,016 193,102 174,081 
			 Groundwork UK 1,900,000 1,000,000 1,715,500 1,215,600 1,500,000 1,215,600 
			 Home-Start UK (HSUK) 2,900,000 2,682,500 1,520,754 1,372,938 1,230,000 1,200,000 
			 Home-Start UK (HSUK) 95,335 72,335 792,020 717,663 792,020 717,663 
			 Independent Parental Special Education Advice (IPSEA) 55,000 50,000 70,800 70,800 70,800 70,800 
			 Institute of Wellbeing 450,000 400,000 450,000 400,000 450,000 400,000 
			 KIDS 437,800 307,100 437,800 307,100 385,800 270,100 
			 Kids Company 3,000,000 3,000,000 4,485,000 4,485,000 4,485,000 4,485,000 
			 Kidscape 127,500 125,000 133,456 127,966 131,232 137,309 
			 Lucy Faithfull Foundation 198,000 207,000 210,519 222,911 210,519 222,911 
			 MacIntyre 290,000 £290,000 399,168 326,004 399,168 326,004 
			 Marriage Care 650,000 580,000 690,269 616,475 690,269 616,475 
			 Media Trust 500,000 375,000 500,000 375,000 399,989 375,000 
			 Missing People 150,000 130,000 215,828 222,303 215,828 222,303 
			 Movement for non-mobile children (Whizz Kidz) 181,103 186,536 257,437 199,340 257,437 199,340 
			 National Association for Special Education Needs (The)-Nasen 500,000 400,000 700,000 620,000 600,000 520,000 
			 National Assc. of Child Contact Centres (NACCC) 150,000 135,000 317,475 306,325 160,000 160,000 
			 National Autistic Society 45,773 48,774 107,681 74,941 107,681 74,941 
			 National Childminding Association 700,000 900,000 641,115 645,092 500,000 600,000 
			 National Children's Bureau (NCB) 148,000 116,000 99,413 79,358 99,000 79,000 
			 National Children's Bureau (NCB) 647,000 575,000 601,949 577,723 540,000 510,000 
			 National Children's University 525,000 350,000 525,000 350,000 350,000 350,000 
			 National Council for Voluntary Youth Services (NCVYS) (known as Catalyst) 1,411,000 911,000 1,490,300 1,089,000 1,490,300 1,089,000 
			 National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) 880,000 908,160 743,806 745,691 500,000 500,000 
			 National Deaf Children's Society 209,340 209,340 196,292 155,496 196,292 155,496 
			 National Education Trust 90,000 80,000 137,300 119,800 137,300 119,800 
			 National Portage Association (NPA) 175,000 175,000 175,000 175,000 175,000 175,000 
			 National Sensory Impaired Partnership (NatSIP) 200,000 150,000 200,000 150,000 200,000 150,000 
			 NSPCC (Safe Network) 700,000 650,000 630,000 650,000 630,000 650,000 
			 One Plus One (OPO) 950,000 750,000 950,000 750,000 921,250 724,500 
			 Parenting UK 112,500 101,250 120,550 108,050 120,550 108,050 
			 Parentline Plus (Family Lives) 536,000 354,000 698,688 603,392 698,688 603,392 
			 Partners of Prisoners and Families Support Group (POPS) 400,000 400,000 383,106 383,106 150,000 150,000 
			 Pen Green Children and Families and Research Centre 160,000 140,000 200,397 168,752 200,397 168,752 
			 Place2Be 121,172 127,230 317,353 347,932 221,815 240,939 
			 Place2Be 98,728 103,665 160,338 162,031 160,338 162,031 
			 Pre-school Learning Alliance 1,500,000 1,300,000 1,211,615 986,070 865,000 930,000 
			 Prince's Trust (and Fairbridge) 433,054 668,895 971,787 858,891 898,289 858,891 
			 Princess Royal Trust for Carers 710,965 690,720 796,878 600,498 500,000 500,000 
			 Prison Advice and Care Trust (PACT) 182, 983 181,083 314,525 343,546 314,525 343,546 
			 Project for Advocacy Counselling and Education (PACE) 49,850 37,000 153,853 157,206 153,853 157,206 
			 QED UK 106,296 111,242 113,521 106,767 113,521 106,767 
			 Relate 2,150,000 1,950,000 2,146,403 1,947,630 1,850,403 1,711,630 
			 Roma Support Group 71,600 61,948 86,387 65,431 86,387 65,431 
			 Safe Ground 240,000 240,000 240,979 235,380 240,979 235,380 
			 School Food Trust 2,255,000 2,255,000 536,708 620,881 160,000 200,000 
			 SCOPE 121,000 135,000 121,693 135.256 121,693 135,256 
			 Shared Care Network 99,000 75,000 118,072 91,324 112,000 81,000 
			 Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE) 450,000 212,400 575,770 424,208 518,193 424,208 
			 Spurgeons 429,125 421,050 473,999 465,266 350,000 350,000 
			 Tavistock Centre for Couple Relationships 728,000 700,000 750,000 730,000 699,000 657,000 
			 Terrence Higgins Trust 250,000 250,000 207,664 214,603 203,528 218,739 
			 Time for Families 470,000 720,000 470,000 720,000 150,000 150,000 
			 Tomorrow's People 1,200,000 343,000 1,116,028 557,262 750,000 750,000 
			 UK Youth 429,125 421,050 1,308,043 781,082 454,490 512,510 
			 V, National Young Volunteers Service 728,000 700,000 1,208,704 769,904 800,000 769,904 
			 Victoria Climbié Foundation UK 250,000 250,000 168,880 167,280 168,880 167,280 
			 Voice (Voice for the Child in Care) 470,000 720,000 98,000 98,000 75,000 75,000 
			 Who Cares? Trust 1,200,000 343,000 74,517 72,411 74,000 72,000 
			 WomenCentre Ltd 429,125 421,050 155,400 160,800 155,400 160,800 
			 YMCA Derbyshire 1,807,024 1,499,888 847,024 851,331 600,000 599,809 
			 YoungMinds 194,000 130,000 213,792 142,900 213,792 142,900 
			  Note: Disclaimer: The funding amounts are indicative. Year 1 funding is dependent on successful negotiations on detail of the grants and securing exemption for activity which is subject to the marketing and advertising efficiency controls. Year 2 amounts are dependent on successful delivery of agreed outcomes.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Departmental Procurement

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department from which companies her Department has purchased goods and services of a total value above £1 million in each of the last three years; and how much was spent in respect of each such company.

Damian Green: The companies from which the Home Department, inclusive of its executive agencies, purchased goods and services of a total value greater than £1 million and the value of spend with each company in each of the last three years are detailed in the table which will be placed in the House Libraries.

Employment Agencies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on  (a) recruitment agency fees,  (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and  (c) staff training in the last year for which figures are available.

Damian Green: Information on how much the Home Department spent on  (a) recruitment agency fees could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. On  (b) the Department does not hold contracts with outplacement agencies for services for displaced or redundant staff. On  (c) the cash based expenditure by the Department inclusive of its executive agencies on staff training to the end of February of the financial year 2010-11 was £8 million.

Homicide

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many homicides there were in  (a) England, (b) Wales,  (c) Scotland,  (d) Northern Ireland and  (e) Brighton and Hove in each of the last five years; how many of those killed were (i) female and (ii) male; what the gender of the perpetrator was in respect of victims of each gender; and whether there was evidence of (A) sexual assault and (B) rape in respect of victims of each gender.

James Brokenshire: Available data are collected by the Home Office from police forces in England and Wales, including British Transport Police (BTP) where the offence was committed within England or Wales, and have been extracted from the Homicide Index. These are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Offences( 1)  currently recorded by the police as homicide by victim and principal suspect gender, and with 'sexual' main circumstances of offence: England and Wales, 2005-06 to 2009-10( 2) 
			  Number 
			 Male victim 
			 Male suspect  Female suspect  Corporate suspect  No current suspect  
			  Year( 2)  Country recorded  Total victims  Total  Sexual( 4)  Total  Total  Total  Total male victims 
			 2005-06 England 645 366 3 19 - 50 435 
			  Wales 22 9 - 2 - 2 13 
			  BTP(3) 42 19 - 1 - - 20 
			  
			 2006-07 England 683 384 3 44 1 67 496 
			  Wales 29 18 - 1 - - 19 
			  BTP(3) 3 3 - - - - 3 
			  
			 2007-08 England 702 409 2 42 - 64 515 
			  Wales 39 22 - 2 - - 24 
			  BTP(3) 3 2 - - - - 2 
			  
			 2008-09 England 608 347 4 45 - 35 427 
			  Wales 33 20 - - - 3 23 
			  BTP(3) 3 1 - - - - 1 
			  
			 2009-10 England 574 315 2 25 - 59 399 
			  Wales 43 11 - 4 - 6 21 
			  BTP(3) 2 1 - - - - 1 
		
	
	
		
			  Number 
			Female victim 
			Male suspect  Female suspect  Corporate suspect  No current suspect  
			  Year( 2)  Country recorded  Total  Sexual( 4)  Total  Sexual( 4)  Total  Total  Sexual( 4)  Total female victims 
			 2005-06 England 180 6 11 - - 19 - 210 
			  Wales 7 - 1 - - 1 - 9 
			  BTP(3) 21 - 1 - - - - 22 
			   
			 2006-07 England 153 14 14 1 - 20 - 187 
			  Wales 8 - 1 - - 1 - 10 
			  BTP(3) - - - - - - - - 
			   
			 2007-08 England 148 7 22 - - 17 1 187 
			  Wales 11 1 2 - - 2 - 15 
			  BTP(3) - - - - - 1 - 1 
			   
			 2008-09 England 147 1 17 - - 17 - 181 
			  Wales 10 - - - - - - 10 
			  BTP(3) 2 - - - - - - 2 
			   
			 2009-10 England 146 4 11 - - 18 1 175 
			  Wales 12 - 2 - - 8 - 22 
			  BTP(3) - - - - - 1 - 1 
			 (1) As at 28 September 2010; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available. (2) Offences are shown according to the year In which they were Initially recorded as homicide. This is not necessarily the year in which the incident took place or the year in which any court decision was made. (3) Offences recorded by British Transport Police. It Is not possible to show where in England or Wales these offences were committed. (4) Offences where It has been judged that a sexual assault or sexual gratification of some sort was considered to be the primary motivation of the homicide. 
		
	
	Save in respect of the 7 July 2005 bombings, it is not possible to show where in England and Wales offences recorded by the BTP were committed, and homicide data relating to Brighton and Hove could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Additionally, it is not possible to identify homicides that involved sexual assault or rape. Available data from the Homicide Index relate to the 'sexual' category-where it is judged that either a sexual assault or sexual gratification of some sort was considered to be the primary motivation.
	Data are as at 28 September 2010 and subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.
	The collection of homicide data for Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Council of Europe: Finance

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government has received any request from any Council of Europe institution for funding additional to its subscription for  (a) 2010-11 and  (b) 2011-12; and whether the Government plans to make any additional contribution to any additional institution of the Council of Europe in 2011-12.

David Lidington: The Government have not been approached by the Council of Europe for funding outside our usual subscription.
	The UK has not paid any extra-budgetary contributions in 2011 and currently has no plans to do so in 2012.

Departmental Accountancy

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether any Ministerial directions have been issued to the accounting officer of his Department since his appointment.

David Lidington: There have been no ministerial directions issued since the appointment of the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

EU Institutions

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the outcome of  (a) EU Careers Month and his  (b) Department's initiative to communicate the benefits of a career in the EU to young UK professionals, graduates and undergraduates.

David Lidington: The objective of EU Careers month was to increase awareness of opportunities in the EU Civil Service and increase the number of applications from key target groups of UK nationals to the EU's recruitment competitions. It was the start of what must be a multiannual campaign if we are to stand any chance of redressing the declining number of UK nationals entering the EU Institutions. The campaign achieved some measure of success. In this year's main graduate selection procedure, which closed on 14 April 2011, the UK saw the largest proportional increase in numbers of applicants of all the member states, through a rise from 1.5% in 2010 to 2.4%. In the last week of the registration period the EU Careers Month's webpages were the third largest external referrers to the European Personnel Selection Office's landing pages-behind only Google and Facebook. The next measure of success is whether we have succeeded in attracting the right applicants. Evidence for this will come later in the year when we hear how many have been successful in the first assessment phase. On that basis we will re-assess the campaign.

Libya: Politics and Government

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what non-lethal equipment his Department has provided to Libyan rebel forces.

Alistair Burt: On 8 April 2011 a Departmental Minute was laid before the House that provided full details of a gift of 120 pieces of communications equipment to the Libyan Interim National Council. On 15 April 2011 a Departmental Minute was laid before the House that provided full details of a gift of 1,000 pieces of body armour, also to the Libyan Interim National Council.

CABINET OFFICE

Transition Fund

Gavin Barwell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what payments have been made from the transition fund since its creation.

Oliver Letwin: Transition Fund payments totalling just under £16 million have been paid to 202 organisations to date. A further £89 million will be paid out this financial year, including £5 million being paid out today.

Efficiency Reform Group

Simon Hart: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the savings to the public purse achieved through the work of the efficiency and reform group in 2010-11.

Francis Maude: The Efficiency and Reform Group has worked with Departments to drive much greater efficiency into Government operations, by renegotiating contracts, central control over advertising and consultancy spend, getting out of properties, controlling recruitment and ICT spend.
	We are currently checking our figures carefully, however I expect to announce shortly total savings for the year of over £3 billion.

Public Bodies Reform: Savings

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what recent estimate he has made of the savings which will accrue from the reform of public bodies in the comprehensive spending review period.

Nick Hurd: Departments are estimating cumulative administrative savings of at least £2.6 billion will flow from public bodies over the spending review period.
	When reductions in programme and capital spend are taken into account, then total spending being channelled through public bodies will be reduced by at least £11 billion per year by 2014-15, a cumulative £30 billion over the spending review period.

Census: Voluntary Work

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Office for National Statistics considered the merits of including voluntary work in the section of the 2011 Census on work and employment.

Nick Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
	  Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated April 2011:
	As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking whether he considered the merits of including voluntary work in the section of the 2011 Census on work and employment ( 52981).
	The questions for the 2011 Census were developed during a four year programme of consultation, research and testing with central and local government, public and private bodies, charities, the academic sector and the public sector.
	A question on voluntary work was one of many considered for inclusion, but during the consultation less demand was expressed for such information than for many of the other questions also under consideration. The demand for questions in the census is always greater than can be accommodated on a self-completion questionnaire and due to these space constraints, only those questions that have been shown to be most needed by the major users of census statistics, were included.
	The questions for the 2011 Census were approved by Parliament in 2009.

Charter of Fundamental Rights: EU

Priti Patel: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office with reference to the European Ombudsman's survey finding that 72% of Europeans do not feel well-informed about the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; what his assessment is of the proportion of UK residents who do not feel well-informed about the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; and if he will take steps to ensure the UK is not affected by the Charter.

David Lidington: I have been asked to reply.
	As the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU does not create any new justiciable rights or change the current status of EU fundamental rights as they already apply in EU law, the Government do not believe it would be a cost effective use of resources to assess the proportion of UK residents that do not feel well informed about the Charter.
	The Charter and the Lisbon treaty have not changed the content or effect of EU fundamental rights as they apply in EU law. It has long been recognised that fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Court of Human Rights and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the member states, constitute general principles of EU law (as confirmed by Article 6 (3) TEU). The Charter and the Lisbon treaty do not give the European Court of Justice or national courts any new powers to strike down national laws and practices for breaching fundamental rights. Furthermore, the UK is required to comply with the fundamental rights restated in the Charter only when it is giving effect to EU law, reflecting the long-standing case law of the European Court of Justice. These limits on the effects of the Charter are confirmed by both Protocol No 30 to the treaties and the terms of the Charter and the treaties themselves.

Civil Servants: Pensions

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people have had their early payment pension under the Civil Service Pension Scheme back-dated to the date of  (a) ceasing work through ill health and  (b) claiming the payment in the period 1 April 1987 to 1 October 2002.

Francis Maude: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Early Retirement

David Crausby: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many of his Department's staff have taken early retirement in each of the last five years; and what the cost to his Department was in each such year.

Francis Maude: The following table details the cost to the Cabinet Office in each of the last five years for which the information is available of staff who have taken early retirement.
	
		
			  Financial year  Cost to Cabinet Office (£) 
			 2009-10 647,000 
			 2008-09 77,000 
			 2007-08 667,000 
			 2006-07 45,000 
			 2005-06 1,081,000 
		
	
	The information is taken from the Cabinet Office Resource Accounts which does not include the number of staff who have taken early retirement in each year. This information is not held and providing it would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold.

Identity and Passport Service: Liverpool

Louise Ellman: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the Civil Service Commission was first informed of a problem concerning the awarding of permanent employment status to employees of Liverpool Passport Office.

Francis Maude: On 27 April 2010 the Identity and Passport Office told the Commission's external auditors that the Liverpool regional office had made permanent appointments for candidates who were not recruited through fair and open competition. The IPS told the Commission's auditors that these permanent contracts were being withdrawn and replaced with fixed term appointments under two years in duration.
	The Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles allow Departments to make short-term appointments up to maximum of two years, as an exception to appointment on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. Any proposal to extend an appointment made under this exception beyond two years requires the approval of the Civil Service Commission.

Older Workers: Average Earnings

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate he has made of the average lifetime earnings of  (a) a woman and  (b) a man who retired in 2010.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply.
	The information to answer this question is not available.

Public Sector: Pay

Nick Brown: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his policy is on the making of bonus payments to officials with responsibility for advising on or initiating the borrowing of funds by public authorities proportionate to the funds borrowed; and what guidance he has issued to  (a) public authorities,  (b) Government departments,  (c) local authorities and  (d) other agencies on this matter.

Francis Maude: There is no specific policy for the civil service on the making of bonus payments to officials with responsibility for advising on or initiating the borrowing of funds by public authorities.
	The Government support the principle of performance related pay and ensuring that those who are the most effective receive the highest rewards, but this must be balanced against the need to ensure that such payments are moderate and appropriate. For the Senior Civil Service (SCS), which is managed centrally by the Cabinet Office, only the top 25% of performers will be able to be considered for any performance related pay award this year. Under the delegated arrangements for staff outside the Senior Civil Service (SCS), eligibility criteria for such payments are determined by individual Departments and agencies.
	The Cabinet Office does not have responsibility for reward arrangements in public authorities and local government.

Third Sector: Finance

Stella Creasy: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  whether he has plans to use funding provided to the Office for Civil Society which has not yet been allocated to other purposes to fund strategic partners in  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13 and  (c) 2013-14;
	(2)  how much of the funding allocation proposed by the Office for Civil Society for strategic partners has now been allocated for  (a) 2011-12,  (b) 2012-13 and  (c) 2013-14; and what proportion remains unallocated in each such year.

Nick Hurd: £9 million was made available for the Office for Civil Society's Strategic Partners Transition programme (£4 million in 2011-12; £3 million in 2012-13; and £2 million in 2013-14). After an intensive selection process, a very small proportion of the total £9 million available remains unallocated-around 8%. The unallocated amounts are: £324,161 in 2011-12; £243,121 in 2012-13; and £162,080 in 2013-14.
	I do not intend to use these amounts to fund organisations selected to be strategic partners as part of the programme running until 2015. I am currently considering the best use of this unallocated funding and there are a number of pressing priorities. I am keen to work with some unsuccessful interviewees on what big society policies and programmes mean for some of the groups they represent. Any commissions to these groups would be carried out this year.